Paladins and Heirs
by FlashyAudience
Summary: Their lives were always bound to each other. They just didn't know it quite yet. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it brings the 6 paladins together. Through their journey they will discover how deep their bonds are. This is a little story that steals episodes and certain story development from the show. But I wanted to explore it in a different way.
1. Chapter 1

_Five days before contact_

Pidge sat on her bed, book open but she wasn't reading. Her attention was on the voices downstairs. She could only make out a few words here and there.

"It doesn't …. they…. I know…. best …. our daughter."

"You ….. ignore …. forever. She …. need ... soon."

".. change ….. can't... keep ... little girl ... longer."

"Charles..."

"Layla please..."

Silence.

Pidge strained her ears.

"Pidge!"

Pidge started and looked up to see Lance holding his hands out. He was sitting at the head of her bed opposite of her with his feet up on the bed beside her. She shoved his feet onto the floor.

"What?!" She barked.

He eyed her for a second and snorted. "What'd you get for question 5?"

She frowned and looked down at the book open in front of her. She furrowed her brows for a moment. "46.368."

Lance quickly looked at his book. "What? How'd you get that number? I got 197!"

Pidge snorted. "I don't know how _you_ got 197 but that isn't right."

"Yeah well." Lance put his feet back on the bed nudging one against her head.

"Gross!" She tried to shove them off but he resisted. "Get away!" She tried to sound angry but her protests turned to laughter.

"No, you're supposed to be helping me pass this test tomorrow and unless you're going to let me cheat off of you I ain't gonna so..." He finished by putting his foot right in her nose. She quickly sat up and pulled off his sock, along with his foot, causing him to fall down lying on his back. He scrambled up quickly and lunged for the sock. She managed to dodge back but fell over in the process. He grabbed the sock, pinned her down, and shoved it into her face playfully.

"Now you will face your punishment."

Pidge giggled. "Lance stop!"

"Pidge?" The two of them stopped dead as they heard Pidge's mom call from downstairs.

"Pidge? Is everything alright?" They heard footsteps coming up the stairs. They both scrambled up into sitting positions away from each other. Pidge's mom popped her head into the room.

"You kids alright?" She looked pointedly at Lance who gave an innocent wave.

Despite sobering up quickly, Pidge was still a little giggle drunk from before. "Yes mom. We're almost done."

Her mom continued to stare at the two of them, willing them to confess to their crimes. Finally she said. "Alright. Lance has to be back in the dorms for lights out so don't doddle."

Pidge risked rolling her eyes. "We won't mom." With that her mom left, keeping the door open. Pidge looked over at Lance who wore a grin from ear to ear. She felt her stomach flip. She stared at him for a moment before swatting at him. "You heard her, don't doddle!"

Lance saluted lazily. "Yes ma'am."

_Four days before contact_

Hunk sat in the center of the room. The room was empty but it would soon be filled with refugees from the earthquake. He was filling small bags with food and placing them carefully in boxes. Most of the food was perishable but they needed to sort those out before they went bad. Soon enough they would get to the nonperishables. His huge hands delicately folded the bags neatly.

He heard the door open and close and soft padded footsteps approached him. He felt lips kiss the top of his head.

"How's it going cowboy?" Alia's voice always sent warm waves through his body.

He tilted his head and brushed his nose against her chin. "Alright. I'll be done soon enough." She felt her sigh and wrap her arms around him. Or try to anyways. Her arms settled around his shoulders. She only came to his chest when she stood up.

When they first met, she was running through the street chasing a man who stole her phone. Hunk was about to react when she launched herself at the robber. With surprising strength, she pinned his hands and legs and snatched her phone back. Still sitting on top of him, she pointed her chin at Hunk.

"Can you help me hold him down while I call the police?" Hunk was transfixed and was only able to nod dumbly. She gave him a devilish smile and that was it for him. He was in head over heels in love.

He kissed her neck and buried his face in the mess of black curls. "When this is over, we should take a trip."

He felt her cheeks tighten into a smile. "Yeah? With what money?"

"I got some saved up. We could go on a cruise." She laughed softly.

"I don't know how you get seasick everywhere else but on the sea."

He pulled her around so that she was on his lap. "I think because you're in a bathing suit the whole time. It keeps my mind off of it." She smiled and kissed him deeply.

"A cruise huh? Will I get to see you in a bikini?"

"Hell, I'll wear my birthday suit if means you'll come." She rolled her eyes.

Voices came from down the hall and they both smiled.

"Ready?" She asked him.

"Let's feed some hungry folks."

_Three days before contact_

Keith heard the screech of tires before the expected yelp. He tore open his door to his shack and scanned the dark countryside. He saw the flash of headlights in the distance. A figure got out of the car and ran to the front. They knelt down for a moment and quickly stood up. They walked back to the car and got in. Reversing slightly they sped off in the direction they were going, tires screeching.

"Bastard." Keith swore. He grabbed his jacket and ran back into the night.

It took him several minutes to get there but it was easy enough to find. He followed the whimpering and found the dog lying in a pool of its own blood.

Keith swore again and knelt down to examine the poor animal. The animal continued whimpering. It was badly hurt. Its leg was broken and a deep gash in its stomach was causing the bleeding. The dog licked his hand weakly.

"Hey pup. I'm sorry. I'm going to get you home okay." He carefully wrapped the dog in his jacket and brought it back to his house. He kicked open the door and lay the dog on the floor. The dog was still whimpering. He ran to the bathroom and grabbed his first aid kit.

Growing up his dad ran drill after drill with him. As a paramedic he saw what happened first hand what can happen in an instant. He wanted Keith to know what to do in an emergency.

Granted a dog isn't the same as a human, but Keith would manage. He knelt back down and checked on the dog. It was still breathing but the blood was still coming. He pulled out a syringe and filled it from one of his bottle. Injecting near the stomach he released a small amount. The dog whimpered.

"Shhh, I know I know." Keith whispered gently. He pulled it out and set about to stop the bleeding. Soon the dog calmed and Keith set to work.

It was slow going. The local anesthetic helped calm the dog enough for Keith to fix the dog as best he could. Keith's mind was calm, focused. Once finished, Keith patted the dog on the head who wagged its tail softly.

Taking a deep breath Keith cleaned up.

Every couple of minutes, he checked on the dog who was asleep. Periodically he checked the stitches and the split. Everything seemed okay but he wouldn't know until morning. Settling down, he lay down next to the dog.

_Two days before contact_

Shiro raced down the hall dodging blasts from behind. Stumbling, he picked himself up and continued running. Turning a corner he ran headfirst into a Galra soldier. Barely breaking his stride, Shiro raised his right arm and sliced through the soldier. He rounded a corner into an intersection.

He couldn't stop, they were almost upon him. He looked around frantically. Fighting through his memories, he picked a corridor and bolted down it. He couldn't read the signs but it felt right. _I just need a ship, any ship._

He managed to find a hangar, along with dozens of guards. He slithered through the shadows, carefully picking off guards in his way. He was 10 ft from a ship. But in between were too many of them for him to take out safely. Crouching behind a box he examined his options. _I could get one or two before they know I'm there but I won't make it to the ship. I need to lure them away but I don't have ti…_An alarm pulled Shiro back to the present. A voice appeared over the comms

"Hostile ships approaching. Fighters in Bay 1-4, get to your ships." The room exploded into a fury. The guards began to disperse, two to the ship.

_That'll do. _Shiro broke his cover and rushed the guards. Tackling one, he drove his arm into the other. Bringing his arm up he thrusted it down into the chest of the prone guard. The room was still a frenzy as Shiro jumped up and climbed the ladder into the ship. Accessing the controls, Shiro pulled the ship out into formation with the other ships.

Pulling away from the other ships, Shiro shot away from the fray. Luckily the battle created enough chaos for Shiro to leave unnoticed. As soon as he felt far enough away, Shiro took several deep breaths. He looked around at his controls.

_First things first, where am I? _He pulled up a map. Whatever galaxy he was in was not the Milky Way. _That's good I guess, it means that the Galra may not have discovered Earth yet. _He measured the distance to Earth. _Too far to fly like this, I need to jump._ Unfortunately, this tiny ship was not capable of jumps.

He scanned the nearby planets for friendly life. One planet caught his attention. They were a resource planet. Taken over by Galra but mostly left to their own devices. If he could get on the planet safely, maybe he could find a way to get back to earth. _Either that or I wait for a ship to pass by…_ He punched in the coordinates and sped off to his destination. _I just hope they don't blow up my ship before I can get there._

_One day before contact._

The Castle of Lions stood still. The air was dusty, particles floated slowly around the castle. In the cryo chamber the room was silent and dim. A soft sound escaped as a pod was lifted from its home beneath the floor. The lights on the pod activated breaking the stillness with hums and beeps. Several minutes passed.

The lights turned off and the door opened. Allura opened her eyes. She groaned as she lifted her arms in front of her. She took a feeble step forward into the room. She let her eyes adjust from being closed for _How long?_ She stumbled to the controls. Her breath caught as she read the ships calculations. _10,000 years...I've been asleep for 10,000 years. _She punched the keyboard frantically. _Please please please be alright. _She searched for Altea...nothing. She searched again...nothing. She pulled up the scan of where Altea should be. All she could see were shattered remnants of what Altea used to be. It had been blown apart and scattered.

Her legs lost their strength and she fell to the floor. Tears tumbled from here eyes dampening her dress. She sobbed. She sobbed for her family, her kingdom, her planet. She sobbed for a very long time.

When all her tears were spent, she rubbed her face dry with her sleeve. She stood up and began a new search. She knew the answer before she found it but she had to be sure. _Galra...they destroyed my planet. _She furrowed her brow as she read a name she didn't think she'd ever see again. _Zarkon...how is he alive? _Further reading didn't illuminate how he could have survived for this long. Utterly spent, she closed the screen and set about the castle.

"Hello?" She cried out. Her voice was hoarse from crying. Each room only echoed her voice. She searched each room and found no other living soul. She returned to the cryo chamber and examined the other pods. Only one was being used. She pulled up the charts and her heart leapt. _Coran! Oh thank the Ancients!_ She typed in the sequence to activate the defrost. A warning popped up on her screen. "Defrost activation denied"

"No!" She cried. She typed it in again and the same warning appeared. She slammed her hand on the counter.

It was all too much for her. She slumped to the ground again and leaned against Coran's pod. She wrapped her arms around the pod.

"I need your help Father. I'm alone and I don't know what to do. I miss you and Mother terribly. I don't know if there is anyone left in the universe who can help me. I need your guidance. I need you."

With her eyes closed she didn't see the console screen pop up showing a picture of the yellow lion on planet Earth. The screen turned off again leaving Allura alone with her grief.

_Day of contact_

It didn't take long for Shiro to sell the Galra fighter. The tech aboard the ship was impressive and no one asked him how he came about it. While the citizens weren't freedom fighters they certainly liked to take a jab at the Galra Empire. Getting a new ship though that was harder.

He managed to haggle the price down to 'almost reasonable'. The merchant liked his arm and would part with the ship for the Galra fighter and Shiro's shiny appendage. Shiro used his shiny appendage to grip the shirt of the merchant and _renegotiated_. The merchant waved his arms up in the air in defeat. He could feel hungry eyes on him so he closed the sale and set off on his new ship.

Now he was sailing through the galaxy readying himself for a jump. He punched in the coordinates for the Milky Way. He felt a tug to his right as if someone was pulling on his arm. No one was there obviously but the sensation remained. He scanned in that direction but nothing appeared. Still the sensation remained. And just as it appeared the sensation was gone.

Shiro squinted his eyes. Finding nothing, he shook his head and launched into the jump.

Pidge looked over her shoulder one last time just to be sure before putting her full attention on the screen in front of her. She easily bypassed the flimsy security on the Garrison network.

_Embarrassing. You should be ashamed of yourself._

She pulled up her file. Katie Holt. Age 18. Place of Birth, Roma Italy. _Yadda yadda yadda….here!_ TRI scan detected above levels of missense mutation of MGMT. Further testing revealed abundant genome reconstruction. Biopsy didn't reveal the presence or cause of any known disease. It is recommended that Holt return to the lab for further testing, progress in Galaxy Garrison halted until further notice. _No no no no! They can't send me back. Mom and Dad won't send me back._

Her mind returned to her parent's conversation a few days ago. She filled in the blanks.

"It doesn't matter what they said. I know what it best for our daughter."

"You can't ignore it forever. She will need to be tested soon."

"And it won't change anything. So why can't I keep her my little girl for a little while longer."

"Sam..."

"Layla please..."

Her vision went dark for a moment. Her chest tightened to unbearable pain. She shut her eyes and tried to breathe. _This can't be happening. Mom and Dad are going to send me back. I can't. I can't let them do that._

She closed her file and shut off the computer. She snuck out of the office and started leaving the garrison when she stopped and made a beeline down to the dorms.

Keith stirred the food around in a bowl and tossed it in the microwave for twenty seconds. Once done he brought it over to the couch.

The dog lifted its head and wagged its tail at Keith. He smiled and patted its head. "Here you go buddy." He placed the bowl on the couch and the dog ate hungrily. Keith chuckled at the dog's enthusiasm.

The dog was still healing but improved dramatically since the accident a few days ago. The dog quickly finished its meal and barked happily at Keith. "Done already? Yeesh! You'd think I never fed you!" He chastised playfully. The dog barked in response. Keith removed the bowl and replaced it with a water dish. The dog slurped, splashing water on the floor.

Kieth's smiled wavered as he looked at the collar on the table next to the couch. He hadn't called them yet. He didn't want to call them until he was sure the dog would either live or die. He didn't want to give them false hope. Now the dog was ready to go home, but Keith wasn't ready to give it up just yet.

He reached for the collar and looked at the number. He tapped the collar apprehensively.

_You're being stupid! This isn't your dog to keep. There's probably a little kid worried sick thinking some random dude stole their dog. _He looked at the dog who wagged its tail at the attention. He sat down beside the dog who placed its head on Keith's lap.

"You're making this really hard you know." Sadness laced his voice. He exhaled deeply and reached for the phone.

"Ugh, I hate this!" Lance crumbled up his test score in his fist and tossed it into the trashcan. He kicked it over for extra emphasis. He glared at the trashcan daring it to move.

A quiet knock brought him back. He didn't get a chance to answer before Pidge walked into the room.

"Hey! I could have had a girl in here you know!" He said with as much indignation as he could muster. Normally this brought a snappy comeback from her but she clearly was not in a mood. Her eyes were red and she didn't make eye contact with him. He walked over and placed his hands around her shoulders.

"Hey." He said softly, "what's the matter Katie?" Her name popped something in her and she snapped her head up to his. A myriad of emotions ran across her face. He saw tears prick her eyes. Without words, he pulled her to his chest. He felt her body shudder against his.

"Hey, hey, hey." He whispered softly. He let her cry it out. Eventually, her sobbing slowed. She didn't pull back and he didn't either. He heard her say something but it was muffled by his shirt.

"What?" He asked, his tone remained soothing.

She pulled back enough to look up at him. "They're taking me away again."

He knew who _they_ were. "Can they do that? I thought it was over, it's been months. Why now?"

"I don't know. But I heard my parents talking about it the other day. And I saw my file...they won't let me back into the garrison."

"Oh Pidge. I'm sorry."

She shook her head and pulled away from him. "I'm not going back. They poked and prodded me, taking bits of me to analyze. I felt like an alien. What if they don't let me leave again?"

"Pidge..."

"No Lance. I've made up my mind..." She shuffled her feet suddenly nervous. "I've come to say goodbye."

Lance felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "What?! Pidge you can't leave. Where are you going to go?"

"I have money in my account. I'll go somewhere where they can't find me." She looked like she was ready to bolt right then and there.

Lance slowly approached her. "Okay Okay." He whispered like a hunter approaching a spooked deer. "I understand. Give me about 5 minutes okay?"

Pidge cocked her head to ask why.

Lance put on his winning smile. "I'm going with you."

Pidge didn't budge. "Lance no. I'm not letting you throw your life away like this."

"But it's okay if you do?"

"I don't have a life here anymore." Lance must've not been able to conceal the hurt in his eyes cause she spoke again. "I'll contact you when it's safe. You can come visit me wherever I end up."

Lance looked into her hazel eyes. He saw her fear, and her determination. He couldn't let you down now. "Let me come with you ah!" Sensing an interruption he held up a finger. "Let me finish. I'll take a couple of days and make sure you're okay. Then I'll come back and face the fallout with your parents. I owe you this much." He took her hands in his. "Please, let me do this for you."

He saw her swallow. Then she nodded.

"Good! Give me five minutes and we'll blow this popsicle stand!"

Hunk whistled as he folded his last pair of socks into his bag. Zipping it closed, he tossed it next to the bedroom door. He heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. Steam entered the bedroom and Alia walked in tying a bathrobe around her. Long wet hair clung to her body. "Look at you all ready to go."

"I have to head down to work for a bit before we leave. I figured I'd save some time and bring my stuff with me, save you the hassle."

Alia smiled brightly. "That's very sweet. I'll pack and meet you after work then. Don't be late, check in is at 9pm. They want to sail with the night tide." She wrapped her arms around his neck. He had to bend down to kiss her so he lifted her up instead. A soft squeal escaped her lips.

"Easy cowboy."

"Sorry, got carried away."

He set her down gently and she folded down her robe.

"You almost carried me away." She laughed.

He chuckled and picked up his bag. Tossing it over his shoulder he looked back at his girlfriend.

"I'll see you tonight."

"Rouki!" A little girl came bounding out of the front door. She ran across the yard to Keith and almost knocked him down. The dog was wagging its tail furiously and barking at the girl. Kieth knelt down and place the dog gently on the ground.

The girl knelt down and gently stroked the dog. Keith was worried about the girl hurting the dog in her excitement but he was glad to be proven wrong. The girl's back jerked and he realized that she was crying.

"I'm so sorry Rouki! I was supposed to watch you and I didn't. I'm sorry." He let the girl go on and he stood up. The front door was open and occupied by her parents. He waved and the wife walked down to greet him.

"Thank you Keith for bringing him back to us. The way you described it, I am surprised he survived at all."

"It was pretty bad but..." he looked over at the girl and the dog. The dog was pushing its head into her hands while she scratched its head furiously. She let out a laugh. Keith smiled. "...he's a fighter. I'm glad I was able to return him to her."

The husband walked over with a handful of bills in his hand. "Here, for your trouble."

Keith raised his palms up, denying. "Thank you but no, I can't accept."

"At least stay for dinner." The wife touched his elbow beckoning him to come inside.

Keith smiled apologetically. "I need to get back, I don't like driving in the dark in the desert."

The husband reached out and shook his hand. "If you ever need anything, I'm pretty handy. Or if you want to come and visit, I'm sure Julie would love it."

Hearing her name, the girl perked up. "Oh yes please! Rouki would love it too if you visited!" Seeming to understand her, Rouki let out a happy bark.

Keith chuckled. "Alright, I might take you up on that." He looked up at the fading light. "I need to get going." Both parents shook his hand and the girl hugged him tightly.

As he past he patted Rouki. "It was nice having you around. Take care Rouki." Rouki licked his hand.

Pidge and Lance walked through the twisting path outside of the city. The sky was full of stars and the moon shone brightly. So bright that they kept their flashlights off.

They didn't speak until they were well outside city limits. Even then it was subdued, even Lance's normal chitchat felt forced. They followed the route laid out from earlier. Sneaking out of a city isn't hard, staying hidden would be another thing altogether. Keeping away from main roads and through the desert should keep them safe.

Winding through the desert Lance lost himself in the movements. Like a beacon from a lighthouse he felt his feet were dragging him. But the direction was where they wanted to go. He glanced back at Pidge keeping pace a few feet behind him. She was looking down, her feet lingered on the ground instead of with her usual pep. _No wonder, her life has been turned upside down in a day._

Lance turned around and looked up at the stars encompassing his view. Out in the desert it really was something to behold. Countless stars engulfed the sky. Normally Lance didn't think himself insignificant but it is impossible not to when looking at the stars. So engrossed with his existentialism he walked several feet away before noticing Pidge was not right behind anymore. He looked back and saw her looking up at the stars. Maybe she was thinking about the same things as him.

"What if they're right?" Her voice barely above a whisper. He walked back to her. For the second time today, he just looked at her and waited for her to speak.

"What if they're right and whatever is wrong with me means I'm not able to fly a ship?"

"Did they say that?"

She turned her gaze away from the stars and towards the earth. "Not entirely, but my training at the garrison is suspended indefinitely. Until they figure out what to do with me...What's wrong with me..."

He cupped her chin to force her to look at him. "There's _nothing_ wrong with you..." She flicked her head out of his hand.

"But there is. I've known for a while now. I..." She closed her eyes. "I just wish I knew. Even if it's bad, I just..I just want to know so I can deal with it." She walked past him leaving him no choice but to follow.

Hunk drove out of the city. The highway was fast but a long detour. The backroads would get him there in time. He just needed to hurry. He was driving faster than was allowed but he was running late. Of course his boss wouldn't leave him alone. One thing after another, Hunk put out fires everywhere he went. In order to not miss the cruise entirely, Hunk had to slip out the back. Hopefully his boss would understand. Hopefully he would still have a job when he got back.

Looking down briefly he dialed Alia's number in his phone. Placing it on the dash he let it ring. After two rings, she picked up.

"Hey cowboy, where are you?" Her normal greeting hollow. Yikes he was late!

"Sorry, yeah I'm on my way. I had a bit of trouble getting out. But I'm on my way. I'll be there in 15 minutes okay?"

"Okay, but hurry, I've checked us in but they are adamant about setting sail. Paid guests or no."

Something in Hunk's periphery caught his attention. He looked out the windshield but saw nothing but night. He frowned and remembered what he was doing.

"Gotcha. Get on board, I'll be there soon. Nothing, I repeat, nothing is going to stop me."

He was rewarded with her rich laugh. "Alright! I'll be in our room. Don't keep me waiting for long."

"I won't...and Alia?" There was a brief pause as she returned to the line.

"Yes Hunk?"

"I love you." Another brief pause. Then her voice again. "I love you too." Her voice was warm, he could hear the smile on her lips.

"I probably should have waited until we were on the boat to say that for the first time. But for some reason I couldn't wait."

She laughed. "I think this cruise is bringing a lot of things out of you. I like it. Now focus on getting here in time. I'll see you soon."

"Alright. Bye" And he hung up the phone.

Shiro found himself dozing despite himself. He knew the journey would take a long time but he wanted to remain vigilant for any danger. The endless space lulled him into sleep. He jerked awake to alarms going off. Instantly awake, he assessed the danger. He was approaching Earth and the ship was coming in too hot. He tried pulling back but it was too late.

He lost control of the ship as it entered earth's atmosphere at an alarming rate. _I'm going to die and no one will know what is going to happen! _Fighting against inevitable odds, he heaved on the controls. The ship decelerated but not enough to save him. He pushed the button to eject him outside but the alarm only blared back in response. He could see the ground getting closer and closer.

He closed his eyes.

_Adam I'm sorry..._

And then the ground consumed him.

Deep within the earth there was a cavern. A monstrous cavern that housed a monstrous weapon no one on Earth could possibly conceive. The Yellow Lion sat still as it had for thousands of years. It had a patience borne from waiting for the just the right moment.

There was no wind within the cavern, no insects or animals to witness the eyes light up. The ground beneath the lion shifted. It was slow and methodical. It wasn't a big display like columns falling over and the walls rattling. But it was steady and continuous. The earth reverberated, quiet but solid...deep_._ Its reach was vast, spreading its tendrils out, searching..._there!_ The earth began to churn with fervor, magma deep below even the lion wells through the cracks, bloating the earth around it.

And then everything broke.

Kieth flew across the desert. He took the long way home. He wasn't in any hurry and it felt good to be on the open road. He loved biking at night along the abandoned back roads through the desert.

He didn't hear the ground groan over his engine revving. He didn't see until it was too late tendrils reach over his bike and latch onto his body. The now riderless bike continued several feet before rolling over and crashing into the dirt.

Keith could only struggle for a moment before the tendrils pulled him underground.

The desert heat abated as night took over. Pidge and Lance picked a small alcove away from any passing eyes and settled in for the night. Lance unpacked a sweater and tossed it to Pidge who smiled gratefully. "I guess I should've brought some clothes with me."

Lance shrugged. "Eh, I've got lots although..." His sweater dropped almost to her knees. "it's a bit big."

Pidge waved her arms a little, twirling the excess sleeves around like a propeller. "It's not so bad." She rolled up the sleeves as best she could and crouched down to open her pack. "At least I brought food." She peered into her bag. "Let's see...Do you want turkey or ham sandwich Lance?" When he didn't respond. She looked up from her bag and saw that Lance was gone. "Lance? Where di..." Her voice was cut off as tendrils rose from the ground sucked her beneath the earth.

Even with the backroad shortcut Hunk was cutting it close. Hunk pressed his foot to the gas. "Come on girl! I'm sorry to put you through this. When I get back I'll buy you that nice oil you like. Ultra premium. Nice stuff. You'll l...oh shit!" He swerved his car as a coyote bolted onto the road. He tried to keep the car on the road but it ended up swerving off the side into a ditch. Hunk managed to stop the car before hitting a wall.

Hunk took a deep breath and patted himself down. "Oh man! That was lucky!" He got out of the car and looked back at the road. The coyote looked at him before sauntering off down the road.

"Yep no problem buddy!" Hunk waved at the coyote. He sighed and looked up at the sky. He opened the car door and tendrils rose up in front of him. He tried to step back but his feet were caught. In an instant he was pulled under.

Shiro felt warm sand shift around him as he regained consciousness. Good Lord how his body hurt! _If I'm in pain that means I'm alive...but how? _He opened his eyes or at least he thought he did. Blackness surrounded him. He reached out in front of him and there was only air.

He crawled until his hands touched a wall, a warm wall pulsing like a beating heart. _Where am I?_

His eyes began to adjust to the darkness, enough that he could make out a faint outline of a path in front of him. Looking around he could see only the faint outline of a ceiling and a dead end. _None of this makes sense. Did someone bring me here?_

He stood up and bit back a curse. His body was on fire, he didn't need to see to know that. He leaned against the wall and made his way down the corridor.

Keith rubbed his eyes as he appeared in a large cavern. Two seconds ago he was on his bike and now he was somewhere underground. He didn't have a chance to figure anything out as the earth moved and a tall man appeared a few feet away. As soon as the man appeared he scrambled to his feet.

"Wha...what just happened?"

A moment later a girl in an oversized sweater appeared on the man's other side followed by a huge man to Keith's right.

The tall man looked at Keith. "Did you do this?"

Keith snarled and stood up. "No I didn't, I'm just as confused as you are."

"We're underground but we can't be that far as the atmospheric pressure feels...well...normal." The girl was examining the room.

The larger man wasn't talking. He stared at the other end of the room. "Why is no one mentioning the giant metal lion that is standing in the room?"

The other three looked around the room and then at each other. "Cause there isn't one?" Keith answered questionably. He certainly didn't see one and the other two didn't appear to either.

The large man pointed in front of him. "Yeah it's right there. Are you even looking?"

Keith opened his mouth to berate him when a shuffling sound appeared behind him. Everyone turned around to see a man dressed in a space suit come stumbling into the room. The man looked so much like…

"Shiro?" Keith whispered. The man looked up at him. "Shiro!" Keith ran to him. Just as Keith arrived, Shiro slumped down. Keith caught him before he fell. "Shiro, I can't believe you're here." Keith lowered him safely to the ground. Shiro opened his eyes and looked up at him.

"Hey kid." His voice barely above a whisper.

The others had gathered around them.

"Is he alright?" The large man asked.

"I'm okay. Just banged up that's all." Shiro answered.

"What happened? How did you get down here?" _How did we get down here? _Keith asked.

Shiro furrowed his brows and looked around them. "I don't know. I was on a ship, I was captured but I got out. I grabbed another ship to get back here but it crashed. I thought I did anyways." This seem to take a lot of energy out of him.

None of this told Keith how the others got down here.

"Did tentacles grab you before you crashed and brought you down here?" The large man asked. Normally this would be a stupid question not worth answering but not today. The tall man whipped his head.

"Hey wait, tentacles grabbed you? _I _got grabbed by tentacles too!"

"Mine felt more like tendrils of smokes. Solid but not tentacles exactly." The girl opined. The tall man frowned at the girl who shrugged. They must know each other. They seemed too familiar to be strangers.

"I was riding my bike when something grabbed me. It must be the same thing. But that doesn't answer why we are down here." Keith looked down at Shiro who smiled weakly at him.

"I think it has something to do with the lion. Maybe it brought us down here." The large man suggested again. He shrunk back a bit when everyone turned to regard him. He straightened himself up. "Look, I don't know why you all can't see it. It's really big." He started walking towards the other side of the room. "It's practically takes up the whole room." Suddenly the room shimmered and enormous yellow lion appeared in the room.

The others yelled which caused the man to look back. "What?" He looked at them and then back at the lion. "Oh, you see it too now huh?"

"How did that get in here?" The tall man shouted.

The other man shrugged. "It was here when we got here...I think it was here before we got here. It feels...old." He trailed off and started walking towards it.

"What are you doing?" Keith shouted after him. The man continued walking towards the lion.

"I don't know how to explain it but I need to get inside. Don't worry it's safe."

"Yeah? How do you know?" The tall man asked disbelievingly.

"It just feels right." The large man said casually. He pressed a hand against the lion and a hatch appeared. He stepped in.

"Woah, wait a minute!" The tall man yelled and ran after him. The girl followed.

"Lance!"

"Hey! We need to stick together!" Keith shouted after them. He scoffed. He hauled Shiro up and they walked over to the lion. The others were already inside.

Keith peeked in. "Guys?"

A voice sounded from above. "You gotta see this!" Keith looked at Shiro and looked around the cavern. _There isn't another way out of here so...here we go. _And he climbed in.

Allura fiddled with the controls. She knew her way around the castle, but it clearly needed more than one person for it to function properly. She was alone in the castle. Coran was still asleep. Further examination of the pod showed that the timer was broken. Eventually he would wake up. He was safe for now.

The last few days had been an exercise in maintaing sanity. She kept each day as full as possible. She started each day checking the area around the castle with the surveillance. No hostile creatures appeared around the castle. She checked the food cache. There as more than enough for one person to eat like a queen for another millennia. Then she started repairs on the castle itself. She wasn't an engineer so the repairs were slow going.

She walked through the library, the ballroom, the kitchens. She talked to herself, just to bring some life to the place. She finished each day walking through the royal quarters. She never went into her parents' room. She wasn't ready for that just yet.

She slept in her room with her arms wrapped around a pillow. She had given up any stuffed companions long ago but she needed to hold on something.

Allura walked through the control room for the third time that day. She had done her surveillance for the day but she was feeling restless. She switched on the screens and watched the outside. The images were the same as they were a few hours ago. Hills stretched out beyond the screen, a lake off in the distance. She was about to turn the screen off when a flash of light appeared. She watched as the flash streaked across the screen. The light dimmed to show a large metallic lion hovering above the ground outside the castle.

"It can't be!" She whispered. She sprinted out of the control down to the hall towards the entrance of the castle. She pressed the buttons that opened the gates to the castle and ran outside. The sunlight was glaring from being inside but Allura didn't care.

She looked beyond to see the lion settle down on the ground. The lion knelt down and opened its mouth. Five figures emerged.

She felt tears fall from her face, but they were joyous ones. "You made it!"


	2. Chapter 2-Stay

Chapter 2-Stay

Keith wandered the halls aimlessly. The castle was massive so he was still getting a feel of the place. It was early in the morning, it would be around 5 am earth time. Pidge suggested changing the clocks but everyone agreed it was better to leave it for now. Made staying on the ship easier. Adjusting to the clocks was the first step for adjusting to their new life. Shiro was adjusting the best but that made sense. Space suited Shiro. Keith was just glad that he was around for it this time.

He had peeked in on Shiro who was thankfully still asleep. Nights had been rough for everyone, alone with their thoughts and regrets. Shiro had woken up several times from nightmares. Keith's room was next door and he heard it every time. Each time, Keith walked in and sat with him. They talked about nothing in particular. Shiro never apologized but not out of malice or disregard, but because he knew Keith would never accept it. So when they were finished, Keith would get up and return to his room.

It was not a one-way street by any standards. Keith was trying to repay years of dedication to Shiro. The amount of shit that Shiro had put up with from Keith will take a lifetime for him to repay. This was nothing.

He swept through the rooms letting his feet guide him. Keith didn't think much of home. He should miss it and he did to a certain extent. He found himself latching onto any of the familiar things in the castle. It helped counteract the strangeness of this ship. But overall, he didn't feel the tug to return to earth as he felt he should. He knew there was something wrong with him, so why should this be any different?

"Oh!" Keith had opened the door to the cryo chamber. Allura sat in front of Coran's pod. Her back was bowed. Her clothes were crumpled and her face was drawn.

Keith turned quickly to leave.

"Don't go!" Allura called after him. Keith stopped at the doorway. "Pidge was able to bypass the timer. She couldn't open it right away but she was able to speed it up. He will be waking up soon. Please sit with me until he does."

Keith stood still for a moment before walking to her. She looked up at him imploringly. He nodded and sat down beside her. She gave a grateful smile and turned back to Coran.

Silence never bothered Keith. If more people in the world felt the same way he did, he would be much happier. He regarded her for a moment before looking at Coran.

Several minutes went by before she spoke. "I am not used to being alone." She turned her head to look at him. "I've always had people around me. My parents, guards, escorts, my governess, Nanny..." Her eyes crinkled at the name. "She had always been there since I was a baby. She was always around even when I didn't always want her to." She gave a small laugh. "She even caught me when I had my first kiss. She pulled me away and made me wash the entire castle's dishes for the entire day." Her smile faded. "I cried in my room after that. She told me that she was doing it for my own good 'Princesses don't go around kissing boys' she said. I told her I hated her...I never apologized for saying such awful things." Her voice trailed off. She didn't have to finish her train of thought.

"She knew you didn't mean it." Allura turned her head to look at him. Her face wet from her tears. Keith felt an unexpected urge to brush her face with his hand. Instead, he turned away. "People who love you just know these things." He wanted to say something more but nothing came to mind. He hoped his few words were enough. He focused intently on the pod.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Keith shrugged uncomfortably. "It's no problem. It's been hard here alone and…"

"No." She touched his arm to grab his attention. "I mean thank you for staying here…All of you. I cannot force you to stay. It has to be your choice, otherwise, it won't work...I..." She looked down, she struggled with what to say. Giving up, her shoulders twitched in a shrug. She looked up at him. "Thank you."

The cyropod's timer went off shocking both of them. Allura gripped his arm, squeezing tightly. It hurt, but he didn't shrug it off. The two stared at the pod, frozen.

Coran's face slowly returned to a shade of pink as warmth spread throughout his body. The hum of the pod stopped and the door to the pod slowly opened. Coran's body was still for a moment before he opened his eyes. He looked around and then down at Allura who was still frozen on the spot.

"Princess..." Allura popped back to reality and jumped up, releasing Keith. She wrapped her arms around Coran's neck and hugged him fiercely. Coran had enough wherewithal to wrap his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Coran." She whispered. "I'm so happy you're here," Coran whispered something back that Keith couldn't hear.

Keith watched the pair reunite. His chest constricted and his body felt uncomfortably tight. He softly slunk away.

Pidge dragged her feet so that she was several meters behind the group. She didn't want to see Lance leaning over at Allura. He walked, no he _strutted_ like he knew the world...the universe depended on him. He was right but it still was infuriating. His arms were outstretched, reenacting their lion training session to her, exaggerated of course. Pidge clenched her teeth.

_She was there you idiot. She knows what happened. _

Pidge knew he was handsome but when you've known someone since diapers, handsome is a weird way to see someone. But he worked out, ran, and used his good looks to capture the attention of more than just a few of the girls at the garrison. It didn't bother Pidge before so she didn't understand why it bothered her now.

_Maybe because Allura's an alien and Lance now is charming on an intergalactic scale. No that's stupid. He's a dufus and somehow people find it irresistible. Meanwhile, I correct Jonathan's answer on Discrete Mathematics and he calls me a bitch. Maybe I should act dumb and people would like me. _She sighed to herself. It wasn't fair to Lance and she knew it. _I just miss him. That's all. It's like those conjoined twins who were separated but then still slept in the same bed every night. I wonder what happ..._

Keith pulled up beside her interrupting her musings.

"You did great out there today."

Pidge gave a nervous laugh. "Thanks, I uh just sort of winged it you know?"

Keith chuckled. _I wasn't joking._"Well you're pretty good at winging it. Were you a pilot back at the garrison?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm uh was actually an engineer. I hadn't really flown anything before coming here."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lance glance back at the two of them. A strange feeling overtook her. "But you..." She continued. "You're amazing! I've never seen flying like that before!" She brushed her hand against his arm. It seemed to startle him.

"Oh uh thanks." He said sheepishly. She risked a glance ahead of her and sure enough, Lance had stopped his reenactment.

"Maybe you can show me some of your tricks after lunch?"

"Uh sure." Keith shrugged casually. "I don't know what I do I just...feel it but I could show you what I know."

Lance stood in front of them with his arms crossed. "What are you two talking about?"

Pidge shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Nothing, I just asked Keith to give me some flying lessons after lunch."

Lance looked questionably at Keith who looked back with indifference. He turned back to Pidge. "Why didn't you ask me?"

Keeping her voice cool. "You seemed busy." Then she brushed past him. Her heart was beating rapidly. She willed herself to keep her face forward. _Now you know what it feels like. _She thought she'd feel better but instead, she felt worse than before.

Hunk stepped delicately down the corridor. A man his size always has trouble with sneaking. He wore socks but he still felt like each step reverberated down the halls. He peered around the corner. Not a soul was around. _Okay Hunk, just go in make sure she's alright and then log off. They won't even know you've done it. _

Soon after arrival, the question of Earth came up. Since they weren't going home right away, they wanted to let their families know. Allura strongly advised against it. Any communication to earth could be tracked back to the castle as well as put their families at risk. The group was saddened by this news but complied. Hunk did at first but it nagged on him. It was worse at night. He missed her body sleeping beside him. Somehow she took up more space than he did. Her cold feet pressed against him, even in the summer, her feet were always cold.

He just wanted to let her know that he wasn't dead, that he didn't leave her alone for no reason. He just needed to hear her voice. Just for a moment.

He stepped into the comms room and shuffled quickly to the controls. He didn't have Pidge's knowhow but he knew what to do. Fiddling with the connections, he honed in on Alia's phone. He sent the signal out. Several seconds went by…. "Hello?"

"Alia!" Hunk shouted her name forgetting where he was for a moment.

"Hunk?" Her voice was disbelieving. "Hunk are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm okay. I'm, well I can't say exactly, it's a bit complicated. But I'm okay."

"What happened?"

"I can't tell you. I wish I could but you have to believe me when I tell you I can't."

There was a brief pause. "Okay." She sounded out of breath. "I believe you. I'm just glad you're alive. I thought..."

"I know I know and I'm sorry." He sighed. "_Alofa_ I wish I could see you."

"When are you coming back?" Her voice was hopeful and desperate.

He didn't want to break her heart but she had to know. "I don't know."

She didn't respond. Hunk made sure the connection wasn't lost. He heard a sob on the other end. Then "I understand...Will you call me again sometime?"

Hunk felt his throat close up. "I don't think I can. I've already put your life in danger by calling you, I can't risk it again. I'm sorry."

"I understand." Her voice felt so small. "I love you Hunk. When you're done please come back to me."

"I love you and I will. I promise. Goodbye _Alofa."_

"Goodbye cowboy."

He disrupted the connection. The silence that filled the room pressed in on him. He clenched his fists squeezing until he felt pain.

Sendak stood in front of his screen. The report from his underlings was pitiful. The tattered city of Avanoa had another riot and his soldiers had difficulty quelling it. They had to kill several citizens before the rioting stopped.

He wasn't disturbed by the violence, that never bothered him. What disturbed him was that they had rioted at all. These citizens should be grateful for the Galra. Their presence meant that bandits and pirates will never dare attack them. All that he asked in return were supplies and volunteers. And they had the nerve to riot. As if he and the Galra empire were oppressors and the enemy. The gall of it all.

There was a knock on the door. He pressed the button to open. A nervous messenger came in and saluted. Sendak waved his hand dismissively. The messenger returned to attention.

"Sorry to bother you sir but we've intercepted a strange transmission from a nearby planet."

Sendak couldn't help himself, he was intrigued. "Strange how?"

"Well sir, it's strange because it came from Arus, a planet that doesn't contain any technologically advanced civilizations."

That was interesting, Sendak admitted to himself. There were several possibilities. The Galra had conquered countless planets, encountered countless civilizations. Arus wasn't a planet he was familiar with. There was likely a reason for that. Or maybe there are still secrets, even from the Galra. A secret he could exploit.

"Send a scout team to investigate this transmission. I want to know who sent it. If you can, bring them back alive, but do not leave any survivors behind." He waved his hand dismissing the messenger. The messenger saluted again and promptly left.

Sendak brought up the information on Arus. The planet had resources, but nothing worth the trouble to secure it. There were primitive civilizations but again nothing that would suggest they were close to off-planet transmissions. He tapped his finger against his lip. There was one possibility that he didn't dare think of. If it was true, he would secure himself a place at Zarkon's side. He might be able to pull that witch away from his ear at the same time. _If _it was true.

He pressed a button on his console. "Get my ship ready."

Note: Alofa means Love in Samoan.


	3. Chapter 3-Cause and Effect

Lance swung his flashlight around casting shadows in the jagged rocks. This was the third cave they were in and they had yet to find this 'jelly' Coran needed for the ship. Lance learned a while ago to not ask followup questions to anything Coran said. It didn't help that Coran was vague about the description of this jelly or how to acquire it. They had been there for hours. Lance was hot and tired of looking and just wanted to go back to the castle. It didn't help that he was partnered up with Keith. Lance tried striking up a few conversations but the loner only gave one-word responses or sometimes just grunts.

Lance crouched down and examined some slime coating the wall. "Does this look like the stuff Coran wanted?"

Keith wandered over and crouched beside him. He took a stick and scraped a bit. "No, he said it was firmer than that." He stood up and walked back to where he was.

Lance hung his head and let out an exasperated sigh. "I thought he said it should be soft?"

"Yeah. He said firm and soft?" Keith's flat tone was getting on his nerves.

"Soft and firm? What does that even mean?"

"I don't know but we'll know it when we see it."

Lance let out another sigh and walked over to Keith and draped an arm over his shoulder. "Look we gave it a shot but this isn't the place. Maybe it was 10,000 years ago but not anymore. I say we go back and have a nice cup of that stuff Hunk made the other day and call it a day."

Keith shook off his arm and continued further down the cave. "Coran said we needed it so we are staying here until we find it."

Lance followed him. "What if we don't find it? Are we just going to stay here forever? Live out our lives in this dark slimy cave? Become cave people?"

Keith gave him a level look. "Let's just keep looking."

They continued in silence for several minutes. Keith kept his attention on the walls and ceilings. "Why are you in such a hurry to get back anyway?"

"Why are you not?" Lance countered.

"I am, we just have a job to do." Keith looked over at Lance. "Don't worry, Allura is out for the day with Shiro so she won't even be there when we get back."

Lance tried to keep his face blank but it didn't seem to work since Keith snorted. A few awkward moments floated by.

Lance made his voice casual. "So, you guys are pretty good friends huh?"

Keith kept his attention on the walls. "Sure."

"Does uh...does she talk about me?"

"Not sure, hey does that look like it there?" Keith gestured with his flashlight.

"Sure."

"You're not even looking."

Lance rolled his eyes and sauntered over. He looked up at where Keith was pointing. "Sure, yeah, looks good to me."

Keith pointed the flashlight at Lance. "Man, I don't know why you're getting so bent out of shape about this."

Lance pushed the flashlight out of his eyes. "Cause you're not giving me a good answer."

Keith crossed his arms. "You won't like the answer I give you."

Lance mirrored him. "I promise I will!"

Keith gave him a long look. "Fine. Honestly, she doesn't talk about you."

Lance threw his arms in the air. "What?! That's not true! How can you even say that!"

"You said you would accept my answer."

"Well, I lied okay!" Lance shook his head and walked further into the cave.

Keith called after him but he kept walking. "Stupid Keith, doesn't know what he's talking about." He muttered. He kicked a rock sailing it into the air. It landed with a soft thud. A moment later a low growl emanated from the shadows.

Lance stopped in tracks. He wanted to call out to Keith but didn't want to risk making a sound. A moment later, a scaly foot emerged from the shadows. Following was something out of a horror movie. Its skin was scaly with tufts of fur sticking out of various places. It looked like a spider except it had more than 8 legs. Lance didn't bother counting. Keeping his eyes on the creature, he slowly pulled his blaster out of his holster.

The creature stalked towards him opening its maw to reveal rows of jagged teeth. The floor whined as its claws crept forward.

Keith yelled from behind him. "Hey man, where'd you go?"

Keeping as still as possible, Lance called out of the corner of his mouth. "There's a giant creature in front of me."

A slight pause. "What? I couldn't hear what you said." The creature hissed. Goddammit. He fired at the creature.

The creature stumbled back as it was hit point-blank in its chest. A small chunk fell off and steamed onto the ground. Thick purplish ooze dripped out of its body.

"Jelly" Lance whispered.

A blast shot past him, grazing the creature. Keith was beside him in a flash. The creature jumped back and ricocheted off the wall at Lance. Lance was pushed out of the way by Keith who took the full blow.

Keith cried out as the creature sunk its claws into his back.

Righting himself, Lance fired one shot after another into the creature's body. Hissing in pain, it jumped back into a crouch. Lance fired again but it skittered to the side and into the shadows. Lance stood over Keith's prone body scanning the walls. Several hisses responded from the shadows.

Keith grunted as he pulled himself up to a crouch. "Where are they?"

The hissing echoed in the cave making it hard to pinpoint where they were coming from. Lance pointed his light all around but couldn't locate anything.

"I don't know." Lance responded impatiently. He felt something drip onto his helmet. He looked up and the ceiling was moving.

"Move!" Lance shouted as he fired at the mass of creatures. The creatures screamed and one dropped from the ceiling. Lance paid it no mind and focused on getting out of there with their skin intact.

They ran, firing back wildly at the creatures. There were so many of them. And they were fast. One creature leaped into their path to strike and Keith stabbed its head with his dagger. Letting instinct take over, the two of them ducked and weaved through the creatures and covering their backs.

Panting, Lance felt strength start to leave his legs. They were still so far away from their lions. Beside him, he heard Keith's breath labor.

One of the creatures lunged for his side and he had to fall back a moment to shoot at it. He managed to shoot off its torso but not before its teeth sliced into him. He hurled it off of him but it caused him to stumble. Keith pulled him up but their delay was going to cost them.

The creatures were closing in on them.

"We're not going to make it like this." Keith panted. He was bleeding heavily from his back.

Lance wasn't doing any better. His body yelled in protest. He was losing strength too fast. His arm bumped against his belt pouch. He left out a harsh laugh.

Keith spared a brief confused look before swinging his attention back to the onslaught.

Lance opened his pouch and pulled out a grenade. "Get ready." He pressed the button, waited a few moments and tossed it behind him. He grabbed Keith's arm and hurled themselves into the air just as the blast exploded behind them.

Lance and Keith were launched into the air. They landed and rolled with heavy thuds. Lance felt his entire body scream in agony. He let himself cry out. Keith was groaning beside him. At least we're alive. A moment later, chunks of monster junk rained down on the two of them.

Lance slowly and painfully rolled over into a sitting position and looked around. Bits of the creatures covered the walls and ceilings.

Lance scooped up a glob and presented it to Keith.

"Soft and firm?"

On his back, Keith turned his head to look at it. He turned his head to look at the ceiling and started laughing like a lunatic. "Soft and firm."

* * *

Allura walked down a long winding hallway. She knew she had never been here before but it seemed familiar to her somehow. Every turn or crossroad, she knew the direction to take. The air was cool, with a soft breeze coming from ahead of her. She descended a winding staircase to come to a large door. She pressed a hand against the door and it swung open easily.

A shaft of sunlight shone through a hole in the ceiling, illuminating a sarcophagus. How did light get all the way down here? The sarcophagus was carved with intricate detail to resemble a woman Allura didn't recognize. She wore a slender crown embedded with a blue topaz. The sunlight shone directly on the woman's face.

Allura reached and ran her fingers through the carvings. "Who are you?" Her whisper loud in the stillness. Her fingers ran along the face and she noticed the Altean markings carved on the cheeks. She seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't place the woman.

The sunlight shone over Allura's hands masking part of the woman's face. In the shadows, the Altean markings grew long. Galra! Allura pulled her hand back as if burned. Back in the sunlight, the markings returned to Altean. Fear pooled in her stomach.

She looked around the room wildly. The sunlight only beamed on the tomb, making the room dark in comparison. Allura needed to be in the light but couldn't bring herself closer to the tomb. I shouldn't be here. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She willed her feet to move but they wouldn't budge.

She heard a hiss and she saw the lid to the sarcophagus slide open. The sunlight shone down on the body. From her frozen spot, Allura could see her face. It was not decomposed, in fact, it looked as if she had just been sleeping rather than dead. Allura held her breath. Evil seemed to spill out of the coffin as a hand reached over the lip. The figure pulled herself up to turn and look at Allura. Her eyes yellow...

Allura awoke with start. Her heart was still pounding and sweat clung to her skin. She didn't want to close her eyes again, in case the woman returned.

She pulled the blankets off of her as she swung her feet on the floor. She began to pace in her room.

I've never seen that place before, never seen that woman before. Did she know me? How could she be Altean and Galra at the same time? Her pacing did nothing to give her answers.

She looked at the clock. It was still early morning, no one would be up. But there was no way she was going back to sleep. If she couldn't sleep then she was going to do something productive. She needed to protect herself and the castle from this being. Was the woman in the castle? Allura knew every inch of the castle or at least she thought she did. Coran's grandfather built this castle, would he have built secret tunnels to house ancient beings? It seemed unlikely without her parent's knowledge. And if her parents knew then they would have told her...right?

What if the tomb was on Altea? Then it would have been destroyed along with the planet. Allura shook her head. There were too many questions and each supposed answer led to more questions. She needed help. Coran would know. Was it too early to wake him up? She changed out of her nightgown and walked out of the royal chambers. She felt very far away from the others. Maybe I'll move my quarters to where the others are. Royal customs are gone anyways. Not that the others could have done anything against that woman. Could she do anything? She had magic but the power emanating from that tomb was unimaginable.

She shuddered and walked to Coran's room. She knocked and after a few moments, the door opened. Coran eyes were bleary and she instantly regretted waking him up.

"What's the matter Princess?"

She suddenly felt like a child. She had a nightmare, and now she wanted a grownup to tell her it's alright, nothing but a dream. Pat her head and send her back to bed.

"I wanted to check in on you to see how you're doing. I apologize for the early hour." It was a lie but he bought it easily enough.

"It is no bother, I appreciate your concern." He stepped back into his room and motioned for her to come inside. She walked in and sat on the chair opposite the bed. His desk was littered with parts and gadgets. Likely Pidge and Hunk have been pestering him since his awakening about the castle's functions. She tapped a gadget with her finger, nudging it back and forth. She pulled her hand away and scolded herself. Stop it! Princesses don't fidget. And they don't go crying to her elders when they have bad dreams.

She pulled her attention away from the desk to Coran. "How are you feeling?"

Coran bobbed his head. "Alright. If I am being honest it's taking me a little while to get used to everything again. But don't worry about me, these old bones are creakier than I remember but they still do the job."

"You aren't having trouble sleeping?"

He cocked his head, worry creeping into his face. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

_Dangerous_. She schooled her features. "No." She said casually. "It merely feels odd to feel tired after being asleep for 10,000 years. I feel like I've wasted enough time already."

She could see the sadness clearly on his face. "I know you feel guilty for what has happened but none of it was your fault. Your father did what he thought best for you and for Altea. None of this is on your shoulders. If you had stayed behind, then you would have perished with the others."

She stood up abruptly. She suddenly couldn't sit still. "I would like to train with the others. I want to better defend myself for when we fight against the Galra."

"Your parents gave you training when you were younger..."

"It won't be enough. I need to be ready." For the Galra, for whoever that woman is. Her tone was commanding, and Coran saw there was no fighting her on this.

"I'll tell Shiro to expect you this morning."

She nodded. "Thank you. I'll let you sleep some more." She didn't wait for his leave and walked out the door. It wasn't much but it was a start. She would be ready.

* * *

The large kitchen was a flurry of activity created solely by one man. Hunk plated a pile of spicy meat and flipped a pan with his free hand.

When Hunk wasn't helping Coran repair the castle, he spent his spare time in the kitchen. When Pidge asked him he said that he liked to keep his hands busy. Not that anyone was complaining. The food that Hunk managed to make out of the 10,000-year-old food caches have been nothing short of a miracle.

Hunk set the plate down and smacked Lance's hand on the way to the stove.

"Hey!" Lance yelled indignantly. He dramatically nursed his wound. Pidge rolled her eyes.

"Alright there champ?" There was a tinge of actual concern in her voice. When Lance and Keith came back from the caves, they looked like they were ready to collapse. Lance claimed that he didn't even remember flying back. The lions must have done that for them. They had been put in the healing pods for a couple of days but she couldn't help but worry.

"This is a kitchen Lance." Hunk huffed without stopping. "Can't eat the goods before it's set on the table."

Pidge examined the bowls. "Are you sure all these ingredients are safe?"

Hunk had his back turned, focusing on stirring a pot. "Yeah, I checked all of them before putting them in the food."

Unconvinced, Pidge continued. "Well, I bring it up because I think this 'sweetener' you're about to add is actually Erythritol tetranitrate."

Lance looked at her. "Which means..."

Pidge gave him an exasperated look. "Which means it's an explosive. Everyone in the kitchen froze. Hunk held the bottle aloft not daring to move. Lance carefully pulled the bottle out of his grasp and tucked it in his pocket. "I'll just hold on to it for now."

Hunk nodded meekly.

Ding! The timer for the oven went off and Hunk pulled out some delicious smelling buns. "That's more like it."

Pidge inhaled deeply. It smelled really good, she could feel her stomach rumble. Lance moved to pick up a bun and was smacked again by Hunk."

"Hey! I was going to bring some to Allura!"

Pidge couldn't stop a disgusted noise from escaping. Lance looked at her funny for a moment.

"What?" He asked but Pidge looked away paying careful attention to a dirty bowl.

Lance looked at Hunk who was busying himself with the stove. Lance looked back and forth at the two of them. He waved his hands dismissively. "You guys don't know what you're talking about." He grabbed a bun on his way out. Pidge watched him go, her appetite now gone.

After he left, Hunk turned around and popped a piece of meat into his mouth. "It sucks but Lance should either ask her out or leave it alone."

Pidge looked back at him. "You think he should ask her out?" She felt cold despite the heat from the kitchen. It shouldn't matter what Lance does or who he asks out. But she couldn't get over this feeling that it was wrong somehow.

Through his chewing he said. "Either that or get over it."

Pidge narrowed her eyes at him. "That seems a bit harsh for you Hunk."

Hunk shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "We're here. We all decided to stay. So we gotta make some tough decisions sometimes. This won't be the hardest thing he'll have to do." She continued to regard him. He held her stare for a moment before shirking away. Pidge decided to let it go.

"Well, you can't tell him that." Pidge reached for a bun and Hunk smacked her hand.

"No eating!"

* * *

"Watch your feet!" Shiro shouted the warning but it was too late. Allura felt her legs being swept from underneath her. The padded floor didn't stop her breath escaping as she landed on her back with a thud.

Keith approached her and lent out a hand to help her up. She wasn't the type of person to let pride stand in her way so she accepted the hand.

Keith held a smile, a grin was more like it. He didn't smile much except with Shiro or when they were sparring.

Her muscles were sore and her breath was ragged. She had been training with the others every day and was getting better. She had held her own against the others well enough. Even Shiro she beat, using her speed against his strength. But Keith was a different sort. He was strong and fast like a whip.

He was wearing loose pants and a tshirt slick with sweat. Although, they were all sweating by now. Despite the sweat, he didn't seem tired at all. He danced his feet back and forth "Gotta watch those feet Princess." Arrogance oozed out of every pore.

Oh yeah, she wasn't above wiping that smile off his face.

"Watch this." It wasn't the cleverest line but she didn't care. Her actions would prove it.

She would not let herself be on the defensive. He was quick but she could be quicker. She feinted left and struck quickly with her right hand. He swung his arm, deflecting it harmlessly to the side. She grunted and pressed again. This forced him to take a step back but he used the momentum to bring her along. She tried to counter but her feet betrayed her and she was swung down onto the ground. She rolled away and quickly sprung up. She smiled devilishly at him.

He grinned back. "Want me to slow down for you?"

"You talk too much, has anyone ever told you that?" She was rewarded with a shocked look on his face. But it was gone in an instant.

He swept towards her, she danced back and swung her fist hoping to catch his side but he deflected again. He grabbed to swing her over but now she was ready. She shot forward and used his own momentum against him. She threw him to the side to knock him over. He teetered but regained his footing, pivoting around to face her again. She managed to whirl away and Keith's palm hit nothing but air.

He was still smiling but he was more serious now. _Good_.

She feinted again but he didn't fall for it. Instead, he struck with his arm with enough force that she had to concede a step lest she'd be knocked over. His eyes gleamed, she felt her focus shift as his eyes caught her attention. That moment was seized as Keith grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. She lifted her legs but he shifted to keep her beneath him. Her Altean strength losing to leverage. From this distance, she could see his blue eyes had flecks of grey. I could have sworn I saw purple for a moment.

"You weren't watching." He scolded. That irritating grin reappeared on his face.

She panted angrily. "I was actually..."

"No, what was so spectacular that it caught your attention?"

She tried to push him off but he wouldn't budge. "Your dashing good looks. Now, will you let me go?"

It startled Keith enough that she was able to slide out from underneath him. She didn't look at him as she hopped to her feet. She grabbed a towel a wiped her face. Her muscles ached but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of rubbing them now.

She turned around and Keith was watching at the others spar. He lifted his eyes to hers. Heat rose to her face she looked away. She busied herself with a bottle of water. She heard his feet draw nearer.

"You're getting better." She looked at him flatly. "Not as good as me..." He continued. "…but better. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"

Confused, she asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're here to protect you and Coran. I' d think you'd want to spend your time on other things."

"Like preening myself in front of a mirror?"

Keith chuckled. "No." He shrugged. "I dunno. Like helping with the ship or..."

"I want to protect people, as you all do."

"I'm sure the space mice will be thrilled."

Her humor was gone in an instant. "That isn't funny."

Her tone stole the mirth from his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean. I'm not..."

"It's fine." She didn't bother keeping the cold out of there voice. "You're right I don't have anyone to protect but space mice. Excuse me." She turned on her heels and walked away.

Shiro was calling for another lesson but she'd had enough. She walked out of the training room.

Kieth was quick on her heels.

"Princess wait."

"Don't call me that all the time." She wasn't mad about the title but she was mad at him and wanted to lash out.

"I'm sorry can you just..." He stepped in front of her. She tried to move past him but he blocked her way with his arms. "Please let me apologize."

She crossed her arms but she stopped moving. He lowered his arms.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve what I said. You far and away more capable than all of us. We're so lucky to have you. It was stupid of me to say that. I got caught up in the sparring and I got really competitive. I let my ego get the better of me. I'm sorry."

She looked at him intently. There was not a hint of sarcasm on his face. His earnestness cooled her anger.

She cocked her head. "Ego? I hadn't noticed." She gave him a side smile.

Relief painted his face and let out a breath. "I'm pretty good at hiding it."

She laughed. She felt loose for the first time since she started. "We should go back in there."

Keith glanced over her should back towards the gym. "Nah, I don't feel like getting yelled at Shiro quite yet."

"He'll get mad at us for leaving training early."

"Yeah but this way we are the first ones for lunch."

She laughed again and the smile stayed on her face. "Alright."

He gestured with his hand "After you Princess."

* * *

Lance whistled as he patrolled the halls. Shiro reprimanded him earlier about taking patrols seriously. And he does, there's no reason why he can't take patrols seriously and whistle at the same time. And he felt like whistling. Today had been a good day. Allura had laughed at his joke. Hunk was going to make a lasagna for dinner tonight. And his lion was responding like a dream under his fingers.

He could feel the blue lion in the back of his mind. Allura said that the bond would continue to grow the more they practiced with their lions. The bond also depended on the group's connection as well. That part was trickier. Every day they practiced through meditation, group exercises, etc. He thought he'd have a really good connection with Pidge but sometimes it felt like she was blocking him out on purpose. Sometimes he could intuit her thoughts and movements but then the next moment her thoughts would slip through his fingers. And lately, he seemed to make her mad more often than not.

_Is it because of Allura? She was never mad before with those other girls. Maybe I should just ask her. But what if asking her makes her madder at me. 'You should know why I'm mad at you Lance.' Isn't that what girls say? That's what Carla said when I asked her. Although that was right after I didn't get her a birthday present. But we had only been dating for two months! You don't get someone a birthday present after two months. Two years maybe but not two months. Is that why Pidge is mad, did I forget her birthday? No that's in four months. Did I forget my birthday? Why would Pidge be mad at me for forgetting my birthday? If anything I should be mad at her for forgetting my birthday. No wait, my birthday isn't for seven months._

He was still pondering her mood when a hand slammed his face into the side of the wall.

"That was easy." A harsh voice snarked behind Lance's back. He tried to twist around but his legs were pressed against the wall and his arms were pinned behind his back.

He saw a face glide into his view. His mauve fur covered his entire face with one eye socket replaced by a lens. A large and terrifying clawed gauntlet replaced his left arm. Even though he was afraid for his life, a momentary thought went to how cool Pidge would think this arm was.

The Galra grinned showing sharp canines. "We've caught a paladin of Voltron all by his lonesome. You're going to take us to the control room and help us commandeer this ship."

Lance couldn't stop a laugh.

The Galra looked at each other confused. The one holding Lance pressed his face harder into the wall causing Lance's laughs to come out as chokes.

"What is so funny?" The bionic Galra questioned.

"You guys are idiots. Ooof!" The Galra punched him in the side.

"I'm going to keep punching until you answer me." To emphasize, he punched Lance in the same spot. Lance tried to hunch over but the Galra held him firmly against the wall.

"Fine." Lance spat. "You wanna know what's so funny...You think you're so smart but you geniuses manage to catch the only one on this ship who doesn't know how to work it." He let out a wheezy laugh.

He was pulled away from the wall. He could see now that there were two dozen Galra soldiers along with Bionic Commando.

"We'll see about that." The leader turned to his men. "You come with me to the control room. The rest, take out the other paladins. Keep them alive, we might need them if this one proves to be as useless as he sounds." The soldiers nodded and left quietly down the halls.

Lance tried to wiggle out to reach his comms but the guy's grip was like a vice.

The leader noticed. "Watch him, I don't want him warning his companions."

Lance tried to shake away but the grip was firm. He was pulled away and led down the hall.

* * *

Allura sat on the counter while Keith plated two sandwiches. He scrounged up some leftovers from the night before and transformed them into sandwiches. The type of meat it was he couldn't remember but it tasted good. Hunk could've made something fancier but it was good enough for him. Hopefully, the princess wouldn't mind a simple meal. She was eating some fruit the Arusians gave them from a few nights before. They resembled grapes but weren't. He thought Allura called them 'hua waina'. He was still getting a feel for Altean. When Allura spoke it sounded magical. When he tried it sounded like he had marbles in his mouth.

"I thought princesses didn't sit on counters." He teased.

She gave him a haughty look. "As a princess, I can do anything in this castle that I see fit."

"Well, are you going to sit at the table or do you want me to feed you lunch?"

She put on her royal voice. "Oh please do! And fan me as I eat while you're at it." They laughed together. But she hopped off the counter.

He handed her the plate and sat down himself. He watched her for a moment before digging in. He felt relaxed. Even though Shiro was going to give them an earful later, he couldn't be bothered to worry about it. He watched as a piece of meat clung to the corner of her lip. She didn't seem to notice or if she noticed was not bothered by it.

He pointed to the corresponding spot on his mouth and she quickly wiped it with a cloth. Her cheeks colored slightly.

"How are you a princess and such a messy eater?" He chastised playfully.

She brought her shoulder back. "I have grown up with court civilities and etiquette."

"Yet you still don't have any manners."

She chucked a hua waina at his face. He caught it in his hand and popped it in his mouth. It was crunchy and sweet, the perfect combination.

She glared at him but there was no anger behind it. "Don't tell Coran by the way. He can be just as bad as Nanny for rules and propriety." She paused and cocked her head. "I'm surprised, you always struck me as someone who doesn't care for the rules."

He shrugged. "It's not that I don't like rules. Just that most rules don't make any sense to me. They were made up by someone I don't know who doesn't know anything about me or who the rules are for...and you expect me to follow them blindly?" He shook his head. "Shiro on the other hand, he's a leader I can follow."

Allura looked at him quizzically.

"What?" He asked.

She shook her head and smiled. "Nothing."

Before he could ask her again, the lights in the kitchen went out. Keith instinctively crouched down under the table and pulled Allura down with him.

"Wha..."

"Shh" He whispered.

He couldn't see anything in the darkness. He grabbed her hand and pulled her ear close to his mouth.

"Can you see anything?"

He felt her look around. "A little. The emergency lights should come on in a tick."

"Is there anyone out there?"

"I don't think so."

Suddenly a flash of light as a laser shot towards them. Keith pulled Allura closer shielding her from any stray blasts. Quickly following the first, several more shots blasted around them.

He pulled out his blaster and fire over the table in the direction of the shots.

Thankfully, the emergency lights came on, illuminating the room in dim light.

"We gotta get out of here. Find the others."

She nodded. "The door in the back." They looked at each other counting in their heads. On three, Keith fired wildly over the table as he and Allura ran behind them and out the door. Blasts followed them one getting uncomfortably close to his head.

Outside the door, Allura slammed the door shut and pressed her hand against it, locking it.

Keith looked up and down the hallway. No one yet. They would find them soon enough.

"Who was that?"

Allura shook her head. "I don't know. But the others are in danger."

Keith pulled out his communicator. "Shiro, we just got attacked. Where are you?" Nothing on the other end.

Keith tried again. "Shiro? Do you copy?"

After a few moments, Shiro's voice picked up. "Keith! We are taking heavy fire in the training room." A shot was heard over the comms. "We'll need your help, can you get to us?"

"Yeah, we are on our way."

"Keith, is Allura or Lance with you?"

Keith and Allura looked at each other. "Allura is with me but not Lance."

"Damn it!" Another blast heard. "Find him and then come find us."

"Shiro, I'm not..."

"Lance is alone right now. Help him. We'll be okay." Shiro cut off communication.

"Shiro!" Keith clenched the communicator in his fist.

A blast cut through the door beside them. Keith grabbed Allura's hand and pulled her down the hall.

Keith reached for his comms. "Lance! Are you there?" No response. Keith tried again. "Lance there's guys with guns inside the castle. Lance!"

They rounded a corner and slid to a stop. Three Galra soldiers were running down the hall towards them. Keith fired, knocking one down. Allura pulled him away down the another corridor. She ducked just in time to avoid a shot to her head.

"The Galra found us! We got to get out of here!" Allura shouted at him.

"I know!" Keith shouted back.

"I need a gun!"

"I know!"

She pulled him through a door. It was an unused office. Dust coated every inch of the room. Allura started pulling open cabinets seemingly at random. She let an 'aha!' and pulled out a blaster. It looked ancient.

"Does that even still work?" Keith asked incredulously.

Allura fired a blast into the floor. She looked back at him expectantly.

He nodded quickly. "Alright. Let's find Lance."

* * *

Lance looked at the console in the control room. _I should have paid more attention. It's all in Altean too. _The Galra had roughed him up a bit. Just to make sure he knew who was in charge. His ribs ached and he had several bruises over his body. He passed his hands over one of the buttons on the screen. He didn't press it just yet. He moved his finger over to one that he thought was familiar. _I think I saw Allura use this one for...something._

He felt the blaster against his back. "What are you waiting for?"

Lance raised his palms. "Just remembering my way around it. This is pretty sophisticated stuff I'd have you know. Some of these are self destruct buttons. I don't wanna blow us up accidentally."

The soldier pressed the blaster further into his back. "Hurry up."

"Lance! Are you there?" Keith's voice reverberated in his pocket. Lance flinched as the leader, Sendak one of the guards had called him, pulled his comms out of his pocket.

"Lance there're guys with guns inside the castle. Lance!"

Sendak crushed the comms with his clawed hand "No more of that." He sprinkled the comms remnants on the floor in front of Lance. "Get the castle moving."

Lance prided himself on how calm he was. He raised his hands and cracked his knuckles. "Aye Aye Captain." With a flash of his hands, he elbowed the Galra soldier in the face who stumbled back gripping his nose. Lance reached back to grab the gun but a clawed hand got there first. With his other hand, Sendak reached for Lance but he managed to dance back.

Sendak tossed the gun aside and raised his clawed hand in Lance's direction. A purple light began to pulse inside.

_Shit!_ Lance dodged aside just as the purple blast sailed past him against the wall.

Sendak gave a menacing chuckle. "I'm starting to think you don't know what you're doing" He started walking around the debris towards Lance.

"You're just starting to figure that out now?" Lance called back. He crawled around a desk keeping as much stuff between him and Sendak.

"Then we don't need to keep you alive anymore." Sendak stalked around the room. Lance scurried around until he knee bumped against the gun the Galra had so foolishly tossed. _Oh baby!_ He gripped the gun and put himself in a crouched position. He steadied his breath. Then he jumped.

A blast struck where he had been and Lance rolled out into the open. He fired at Sendak causing him to duck missing the next shot.

Sendak was between him and the door. Lance ducked behind a desk as Sendak fired his pulse of energy at him. Debris and dust fell on top of him.

Lance covered his head as a blast hit the desk nearby. He had to move or else he was dead.

He looked around the room for anything he could use. His eyes landed on a familiar bottle. He grinned and called out. "Maybe we can come to some kind of arrangement?"

Sendak chuckled. "You have nothing to bargain with. By now the others have been captured or are dead. And your life is now forfeit."

Lance gave a silent prayer. He held up the bottle. "This is Ergamite..terratonine." Lance peeked up from behind his barrier. "Which means it is going to blow us both up to kingdom come if you don't back off." Lance risked standing up and sure enough, Sendak didn't blow his head off.

Sendak considered him a moment. "Hmmm, I don't think you know what that is."

"I don't, but my friend does and she is a whole lot smarter than both of us." Lance shifted one step towards the door. Sendak's eyes followed. Lance risked another step. He must of thought that Lance was crazy enough blow them both up, maybe he was because he let Lance take another step towards the door.

But whatever spell Sendak was under broke as he narrowed his eyes at Lance and raised his claw. He lunged for Lance who tried to dodge away but caught him by the shoulder. Sendak squeezed his claw causing pain to ripple through Lance's body. Blood dripped from the claws and started to pool underneath them.

"I'm going to rip you apart."

Lance grimaced through the pain. "Have it your way." He lifted the bottle in his other hand and gave himself one more breath.

A blast shot into Sendak knocking him to the ground. He released his hold on Lance who tumbled backward. Lance looked over to see Keith and Allura approaching with their guns drawn. Sendak raised his clawed hand, purple energy forming. Allura shot him square in the chest before he could get his shot off. Sendak flew backward and was very still.

Allura rushed to Lance's side.

"There're two dozens of Sendak's men inside the castle," Lance warned.

"One dozen. Keith corrected as he approached Sendak's still body. Both his and Allura's clothes were smeared with blood. Lance supposed it had to be Galra and not theirs.

Lance tried to stand up but Allura gently pressed her hand against his chest. "You're hurt." She gently touched his shoulder where Sendak dug his claw into. He hissed in response. "Sorry." Her blue eyes shone brightly with warmth and concern. His heart burst. Despite his injuries, he wanted to pull her into a kiss.

Keith knelt down over Sendak's body. "He's unconscious but alive." He stood back up to face the two of them. If he felt anything about their proximity he didn't let it show.

"Get up. We gotta go help Shiro."

Allura shook her head at him. "Lance is in no state to go anywhere."

"Well, we can't leave him here with Sendak by himself."

"I'll stay with him." Her tone was firm, royal.

To his credit, Keith hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Fine. Tie him up and keep your comms open." He gave a lingering glance at them before he ran out of the room. Allura's eyes followed Keith until he was out of sight.

Lance shifted bringing her attention back to him. "Lie back down, I'll take care of him."

"I can handle it." Lance tried to sit up again but she pressed him back down easily. Either he underestimated her strength or he was weaker than he thought.

"Hush."

He let her fuss over him. Satisfied, Allura tied up Sendak. She knelt down in front of him with her back to Lance.

"Even unconscious he looks dangerous. I don't know who he is." She turned enough to look at Lance. "You said his name is Sendak?"

Lance nodded. Allura furrowed her brows and turned back.

"I'm not familiar with that name. Probably a General of some sort. He must belong to Zarkon. Which means that Zarkon knows we are here as well." She stood up. "We must leave this planet right away."

Lance looked around the control room, what was left of it anyways. "I don't know if that's possible at the moment."

Allura took in the room for the first time. "Yes. I see." Her voice was deflated. Her shoulders sagged. She suddenly looked very very tired.

Shiro's voice broke through the silence. "Hey Allura, Lance. I want to let you know that we're alright. Thanks to Pidge's quick thinking and Keith's help, we got the rest of the Galra."

Allura smiled. "That's a relief."

"Keith said you guys found a Galra named Sendak."

"Yes Shiro, he's unconscious and tied up at the moment," Allura responded.

"Good. We need to keep it that way for now. We need to reconvene and plan our next move. Bring Sendak and meet us in the conference room."

"We should get Lance to the healing pod." Lance waved her off but she hushed him.

"If Lance can hold out a little while longer I'd like him there for the planning then he can rest up. Is that alright with you Lance?"

Lance feebly tried to reach for the comms but she kept it out of reach. She gave him a hard look but she said. "Yes, I'll..." The castle's alarms blared.

Allura pulled up the security screen. A Galra fighter had entered the atmosphere.

Her breath caught. "No!"

She picked up the comms. "Change of plans, everyone needs to get to their lions now!"

She turned around to help Lance up. "I'll help you get to your lion."

Lance let her pull him up and then stopped. "Where the hell is Sendak?"


	4. Chapter 4-Rising

Shiro ran down the corridor. The alarm blaring throughout the castle.

"Shiro, Sendak's escaped!" Allura's voice buzzed through his intercom. The others were already on their way to their lions. Sendak. A shiver ran down his spine. He is somewhere in the castle. He can't be far. I could end this now.

"Shiro!" Allura's voice broke through his thoughts. He winced and shook his head and continued towards his lion.

A dark figure blurred in front of him at the intersection. He felt his body move before his mind could catch up. All other thoughts left him and he gave chase. He turned the corner and instinct threw him to the ground just in time as a purple orb of energy flew overhead. It crashed into the wall behind him, sending chunks to rain over him. Shiro rolled over and sprung to his feet.

Sendak had his arms upraised, readying another volley. His lips curled into a smile. "Champion." Disdain coated his voice.

Not answering, Shiro flung himself forward. He feinted left and raised his metal arm, transforming into his blade, and swiped. He could only glance a blow as Sendak danced back.

Sendak responded by raking his claw against Shiro's chest, cutting through his armor. Shiro ignored the pain and the blood that was pouring out of him.

Shiro tried to grab Sendak's arm but he managed to slip away, putting some distance between them. _Sendak was unconscious moments ago, how is so fast?_ In fact, Sendak looked well-rested. While sweat stung Shiro's eyes.

Sendak snarled. "Such a pathetic waste." He raised his modified arm. "You don't deserve such a privilege."

Blood pounded in his ears drowning out everything else. His body throbbed in pain. Shiro was already wounded and exhausted from the battle in the gym. He felt his strength seeping out of his body. I can't let him get away. Shiro narrowed his eyes.

He launched himself at the Galra, blade poised in front of him. Faster than Shiro thought he could move, Sendak grabbed Shiro's arm and swung him into the wall. Shiro landed with a thud, his breath pushed out of his lungs.

He felt himself get picked up by the neck. Shiro tried to swing his blade at Sendak but it was caught his claw.

"Fool!" Sendak snarled in his face. "You have no idea the power that courses through you. The gift from the Druids." He clenched his claw causing a spike of pain through Shiro. "A gift but also a curse." Sendak sent a pulse of energy through his claw to Shiro's arm.

Shiro screamed as he felt like his body was being pulled apart. Darkness tinged his vision, closing in. The pain escalated, sharp and deep. It cut through Shiro. He tried to kick feebly at his assailant but his feet bounced harmlessly off of him.

Sendak threw Shiro against the wall again and let him fall to the ground. Shiro spat blood onto the floor.

The buzzing in his ears faded, enough that he could hear Keith's voice through his comms.

"Shiro?! Where are you? We are getting our asses handed to us!" _No!_ Shiro rolled onto his knees. He was expecting another attack but Sendak was already running down the corridor. _He just wanted to keep me occupied._

"Damn you, Sendak!" He called after the Galra who turned a corner out of sight. His limbs ached but he got to his feet and shuffled towards his lion. He willed his feet to move faster. He fought against a sob as he heard his teammates crying out in pain through his coms. He pulled himself into a sprint. He prayed he could make it in time.

* * *

The fighter ships came in an unending wave. But even they were nothing compared to the large battle cruiser clouding the sky. The Paladins darted throughout the sky, picking off the fighters. But they were panicking and disorganized. They needed to take out the battlecruiser now or else they wouldn't stand a chance. They needed Voltron.

"Where's Shiro?" Pidge's voiced cracked.

"We're getting pummeled!" Lance shouted.

"He'll be here!" Keith shouted back.

"Maybe he's saving his own skin."

"He wouldn't do that. Hold on together guys."

"We can't last much longer man." Hunk's voice was panicked. He was right. For every fighter they took out, two more replaced them. They were getting hit from all sides. "Guys I'm so sorry."

Keith quickly glanced at the yellow lion confused. _Weird._ He didn't give it another thought and looked down at the castle, shields were up but the rest was dormant. "We could use some help here guys?"

"Negative," Allura replied. Her voice sounded level and calm, but fear tinged it. "The control room is severely damaged. I had to divert all remaining power to the shields and to help Coran with taking off. We just need some more time."

"We gotta do something soon." Lance piped in. And sure enough, the battlecruiser was powering up for an attack. Keith didn't know what it would do to one of their lions but he didn't want to find out.

"Focus on the battlecruiser. The fighters are only in the way." Keith ordered.

Lance grunted as he took a hit. "Easy for you to say." But he flew his lion towards the battlecruiser.

The others formed around him, a spear only missing its head.

_Shiro come on man, where are you?_ Keith couldn't spare any more thoughts as he maneuvered his lion to fire at the cannon. Its shield bounced the attack harmlessly aside. Their lions weren't powerful enough. Doubt crept through his body. _Shiro._

"I can't get through! Pidge can you find a way to disable their shield?"

"On it!"

"The rest o..." Keith cut himself off as he saw the black lion finally emerge from the castle. "Shiro!" Keith let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His chest relaxed and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Sorry guys, I ran into Sendak. I'm here now, let's form Voltron."

Keith took a deep breath and let himself be pulled towards the other lions. But that familiar pull didn't happen. Panic started to crawl into his chest but he took another breath and tried again. Nothing. He tried reaching out to feel the others but the bond slipped through his grasp like water.

"I can't..." Keith saw the beam level towards him. He pulled hard on his controls and Red dove down just out of the laser's path. He felt the energy's remnants tickle his skin.

"We have to break formation, we are easy pickings for that cannon," Keith ordered.

"Stay together. We have to try to form Voltron. We won't beat them without it." Shiro countered.

"But we can't even form Volton. Look, I'm going after that shield. Pidge, do you have anything for me?"

Pidge hesitantly answered. "Uh, I think so. I just need a few more ticks."

"Keith stay in formation," Shiro ordered. His voice smooth, commanding. Keith's fingered twitched, it was an effort to ignore it. He pulled away from the others and wove through the fighters, picking off any that were in his way.

Shiro swore through the comms. Keith would deal with Shiro's retribution after they got out of this. If they get out of this.

He was closing in on the battlecruiser when Pidge piped up. "Okay I'm in, I can give an opening on the starboard side. It won't be much and it won't be for long so..."

"Make it count." Keith finished. He darted around the fighters, not taking the time to engage. Keith saw his opening, a small crack just enough for him to slip through. Weaving himself with Red, he aimed through his lion into the gap and fired. He blasted the ship, the explosion reverberated through the ship.

"Yeah!" Lance shouted.

Keith smiled and fired again at the same spot but this blast ricocheted off. The shield was back up.

"Damn it! Pidge can you get through again?"

A small pause. "No they're blocking me somehow." She trailed off.

Keith pulled back away from the battlecruiser towards the others. "I damaged it but it's still operational." As if in answer, the cannon started to power up.

"Get back here Keith, we need Voltron now." Shiro ordered.

"Will it work?" Hunk asked hesitantly. "Cause it didn't last time."

"We have to try. It's the only way we can defeat it."

"We'll be sitting ducks!" Lance cut in.

"Give me another chance at the cruiser."

"We need to..ARGH!" Shiro cried out in pain as his black lion took the full cannon blast. Keith saw the eyes in the lion go dim and the lion started to plummet towards the ground.

"No!" Keith let out a scream. He was already diving down. The yellow lion was diving but Red was faster. Keith grabbed the black lion with its claws and heaved on the controls. "Come on...come on!" He poured all of his remaining strength into the lion. The ground getting closer and closer. He wasn't going to make it in time.

Suddenly he felt the yellow lion catch up to him and pull on the black lion. Together they pulled the black lion out of the nosedive and leveled off. He let Yellow take Black who could handle the load. Black's eyes were still out and Shiro wasn't responding.

"Keith get back in there and help the others, I've got Shiro." Hunk's voice was calm and in control. There wasn't a hint of panic in his voice.

Keith pulled away and turned his attention back to the battle above. He dove back up to the fight just in time to see the cannon fire at Green. He tried to shout a warning but it was too late. Pidge tried to move out of the way but failed. She let out a horrifying scream as Green took a hit on the side. She was still standing but wobbly.

Keith thought for the first time in his life that this actually could be it. He would die.

* * *

Allura flinched as she heard her paladins cry out again and again in pain. She punched the comms. "Coran, we have to help them! I'm diverting power from the shields to the cannons. I'm going after that battle cruiser."

"Princess don't!" Coran's voice was frantic. "Give me just a few more doboshes and we can launch. Safely get away. Please my princess."

"They don't have any more time Coran."

Coran's voice cracked. "You can't. If you do, you'll be powerless against any of their attacks."

"I'm powerless now!" She couldn't stand by any longer. They were losing and she needed to help if they were going to win. If she wasn't too late already. _This is not how Altea ends. Standing on the sidelines, gawking and waiting to die._ She shifted the remaining power from the shields to the cannons.

She carefully took aim at the battlecruiser. She'd only have one shot. She took a wavered breath and steadied her hands on the controls.

_Please father, I don't want to die like this_.

Letting out her breath, she focused her mind and fired.

* * *

Shiro sat at the edge of his bed, rubbing his mechanical hand with his real one. The pain had stopped hours ago but he still felt tremors cascading up and down his arm.

Allura's voice chimed in over coms.

"Shiro?"

He hung his head but opened the channel. "Yes Allura?"

"We're meeting on the bridge to plan our next move.

"Alright. I'm on my way."

There was silence on the other end. Then "We'll get to the bottom of it don't worry."

He nodded and realized then he couldn't see her. "Yeah, we will."

_That's what I'm afraid of_.

* * *

_Pidge was in her usual spot in the corner of the staircase leading from the cafeteria. She had her book open and was drowning out the cacophony of chatter and footsteps as cadets fled their classrooms out to freedom for the day._

_She pulled unconsciously at her uniform. The girls' cut to allow room for 'womanly' curves that Pidge did not possess. She grew up around boys. It was part of the reason that she sometimes passed for one at first glance. The others were her short boyish cut and skinny frame. While her mother was curvy, Pidge inherited the angular frame of her father._

_Many girls were envious her crew of boys. But Pidge didn't care. She didn't hate them just her attention was never on boys. Except one. But she had grown up with Lance. Their history made any relationship unfathomable. Completely. Utterly unfathomable._

_She saw a finger reach into her gaze over the page, and flick her nose. Pidge pulled her head back reflexively. With her free hand, She pushed the offending finger away._

_She tsked disapprovingly but a grin broke through. She looked up to see Lance waving his finger._

_"You're gonna make me look bad with all that reading." He tried to playfully grab the book._

_Pidge ducked under his grasp and started walking away. "You don't need me to make you look bad." She winked back at him to take any edge out of her words._

_Lance feigned offense anyways. "Ouch! What are you studying for anyways?"_

_She hunched her shoulders, drawing the book closer to her. "It's none of your business."_

_He stepped in front of her. "Come on."_

_She cringed but answered. "The pilot's exam." She looked at him, waiting for him to laugh or be angry with her. Instead he stared at her. The action made her uncomfortable. She began to fidget in place. Then his face changed, his eyes unreadable, became soft. Suddenly, he scooped her up and turned in a circle. After a few turns he set her down. Some passing cadets gave the pair funny looks but Lance didn't seem to notice._

_"That's great Pidge." He was smiling down at her._

_She looked at him skeptically. "You're not mad?"_

_"Mad? No, I just wish you'd had trusted me to tell me sooner."_

_She looked up at him. How he could bounce from goofball to serious from moment to moment startled her._

_She didn't know it yet but she was hopeless. Completely and utterly hopeless._

* * *

_Keith flinched and rubbed his eyes as salty water was splashed in his face by a wild swimmer. He had decided at that moment that he hated the ocean._

_"Hey Keith! Come on out a little farther!" His father called._

_Keith opened his eyes and looked out into the ocean. His father's head and chest were bobbing up and down in the shallow waves. He waved at Keith, beckoning him._

_Keith squeezed the sand beneath his feet, squishing them between his toes. He was waist deep. For his six-year-old size, he was only out a couple of meters. It was enough for him. He hugged his arms and shook his head._

_His father frowned and swam back to Keith. He sat down in the water so he was level with his son._

_"Hey buddy, what's up?"_

_Keith turned his face away. He caught the sun's reflection in the water and flinched again. "Nothing. Can we just go?"_

_His father pulled his face to force Keith to look at him. "We can go if you really want. But why don't we try a few more feet. I'll give you a ride on my back. See if you like it. If you don't then we'll go, deal?" He held out his hand to Keith._

_Keith snorted and shook his father's hand. "Deal."_

_Keith's father turned around and Keith hopped on his father's back. His father slowly swam out. He bobbed in the water causing Keith to squeal. His father's body rumbled in a deep chuckle._

_They swam past most of the other swimmers. Keith wrapped his arms tighter around his father's neck. The water was deep enough that he couldn't see the bottom anymore. The waves were not high but Keith was starting to feel his body grow cold._

_His father must have felt him tense as he held Keith's legs with his hands. "You're alright? Do you want to go back?"_

_His father's hands gave him a sense of safety. He relaxed, knowing that he would always be safe with his father. Keith looked around at the vast ocean in front of them. "No."_

* * *

Allura rubbed her temples. The others would be arriving soon and she had to put on a strong front. Her body felt so heavy, it was a small wonder that she made it here under her own power. They were safe for now. After Allura blasted the battlecruiser, it gave everyone enough time to regroup. Coran launched the castle and they managed to escape just in time. They warped away from any Galra and now floated in empty space.

Allura didn't want to rush the others but they needed to come up with a plan. They still couldn't form Voltron, they don't how the Galra found them, they didn't know where they were going next. It was all a mess. Allura took a deep breath to relax her muscles but it was no use.

The door to the bridge opened and Coran stepped through. He looked how she felt. His mustache, a living extension of himself, dropped low. He back was stooped and there were bags under his eyes. He sat down next to her with a barely repressed sigh.

She dreaded the answer but she had to know. "What's the diagnosis?"

To his credit, Coran pulled himself up. Her advisor knew she needed his strength. "It isn't good news I'm afraid. In our escape, the teleduv lens has cracked making another jump very risky if it's even possible. However, with Hunk's and Pidge's help, I'm running some simulations to disperse the tension. I'll know in a couple of vargas."

"Thank you Coran. For this and everything." She reached and clasped his hand in hers. She squeezed and was relieved to feel him squeeze back. He patted her hand with his other.

"We'll get through this."

"I've thought about it in a thousand different ways but I can't understand. How did they know we were there?"

Coran shook his head. "I don't know. It could have been chance. They do send scouts to uncontrolled territories."

"But this planet holds nothing of value for them." She bit her bottom lip in thought. "No, they tracked us somehow."

The door opened. The Paladins filed in slowly, one after another. The healing pods were decommissioned until enough power could be rerouted, so everyone had to suffer the Earth way. Each carried evidence of the battle. Lance had his arm and torso wrapped in bandages and Pidge's wrist was in a sling. Keith eased himself gingerly into the seat beside her and gave her a reassuring look. She gave a tight smile in return. The others took their seats, with Shiro at the opposite head of the table. He looked the most troubled.

When they made their escape, the black lion was still offline. Hunk had to drag Shiro through the warphole. They took a lot of damage in the process, the black lion needed a lot of repairs. When Shiro awoke, his eyes were bloodshot and spoke in delirious sentences. He wanted to look for Sendak on the ship. After their escape, Allura had scanned the ship for other lifeforms and none were found. She tried to tell him that he must have fled the castle before they launch. But Shiro refused to believe her. It was only when his arm started spasming that he let himself be dragged back to his room. Now, he looked like he would bolt at any moment.

Allura rolled her shoulders back and stood up. All eyes turned to her. "Thank you for coming. I know we are all still reeling from that attack and I make this quick so you can return to your rooms and recover." She paused, dreading the next part. "We need to find out how they found us. We need to look at every possibility."

Coran chimed in. "There are no bad ideas, so if you have an inkling, share it and we will see what we find."

Allura looked at her Paladins. They all looked, either at each other or at the ground. Hunk looked particularly miserable. She felt a pang of sympathy for their gentle giant. She knew that he took his role of protector very seriously.

Pidge pushed up her glasses with her uninjured hand. "I've run through the castle's systems and there isn't anything specific that could be used to track us. If Sendak planted something, my scans would have picked it up."

"What about our lions?" Lance asked. All eyes turned to him, he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, they only found us shortly after we arrived at the castle. They've been looking for these lions for..what.. thousands of years not being able to find them. We show up and BAM! They're there. It's not a coincidence."

"If they can do that then..." Keith couldn't say the rest. He didn't need to. Allura looked around the room, everyone's faces looked down, away, anywhere but at each other. No, their expressions finished the thought. If the lions were being used to track them then they were never going to be safe.

"It's not the lions..." Hunk's normally booming voice was soft, barely audible. He shifted, the chair creaked. "It was me."

Allura shook her head. "Hunk, that's impossible..."

"I called Alia." His voice was firmer now. Everyone looked at him in shock. "I used the comms network to call her..." His voice faltered for a moment. "I needed to talk to her, to let her know that I love her and I didn't abandon her."

Keith stood up, placing his palms on the table. "You what? How could you jeopardize everyone's lives here just so...what? You could call your girlfriend?"

Hunk stood up matching Keith. "Yeah! Before I was sucked into the ground by tentacles, I was on my way to see her. I couldn't let her go on thinking I was either dead or had deserted her."

"We all have people back home." Lance leaned forward in his chair. "But we didn't contact them because we knew what would happen. I can't believe I'm explaining this to you!" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Look, I know I messed up." Lance scoffed and Keith crossed his arms shaking his head. Hunk continued. "I had to do it. I love her too much to let her think I was gone."

"So you're saying that we don't love our families or friends?" Pidge's voice was low and full of hurt.

Lance waved his hand dismissively. "No, he's saying he's a selfish prick who put all of our lives in danger so he could chat with his girlfriend." His voice dripped with venom.

Hunk clenched his fist. He looked ready to launch himself over the table at Lance.

"That's enough!" Shiro didn't shout, but his voice took on a dangerous edge. Hunk didn't back down and Lance looked ready to take him on, Keith ready to help. "I said that's enough." Shiro looked at them one at a time until they sat back down. Finally, he turned to Hunk.

"I get it. You miss your girlfriend." He raised his hand as Lance started to stand up. Lance pouted but sat back down. "You wanted to let her know that you were okay." He paused for a moment. "But Hunk, we need to be able to trust each other. You put all of us in danger without our knowledge." He looked at Allura. He looked like he wanted confirmation from her but what she couldn't fathom. She looked back at him confused. She felt her chest tighten, she didn't like whatever was happening. He continued to look at her as he spoke. "I think we need to reevaluate keeping Hunk on the team."

She felt her stomach drop. No one said a word. Hunk looked at everyone but no one could look him in the eye.

"Are you serious?" Hunk asked.

"It doesn't mean you're leaving. But we need to discuss how we are going to move forward. We need total transparency and trust if we are going to form Voltron." Shiro looked back at Allura.

This was a big decision. The bond formed between Hunk and the yellow lion was solid and would be hard to break. From what she knew of the bond, the separation was akin to losing a loved one. Hunk would go through intense grief and mourning. But if the Paladins didn't trust each other than Voltron will forever be impossible.

"I agree with Shiro. We need to come to a decision, together." Allura tried to him Hunk a reassuring smile but her heart was not into it. "Where do we start?"

"We could start with why Hunk did it and no one else did?" Keith muttered. His eyes caught hers and he looked away, a bloom of shame crossed his cheeks. "Look, I mean, we knew that they could track the signal. I figured later, when we were more prepared, we could contact Earth but I was fine leaving it for now." He grew defiant near the end. Allura didn't know his entire story, but she heard that he lived alone before coming here. Keith looked around, darting glances at Lance or Hunk.

Pidge sat up straighter in her chair. "I actually was running away when it happened." She looked at Lance who smiled at her. She blushed. "I was going to call my parents when I got to the next town to let them know I was okay but now..."

Lance nodding along with her. "The Garrison has probably put out a search for us. My family is probably worried sick about me..."

Hunk stood up so quickly, his chair fell over. "So is this going to be how everyone wanted to do it but didn't cause we know all of that?" He let out an exasperated sigh. "I had to make things right by her." His shoulders slumped, making his large frame small. "But I told her I couldn't contact her until this was all over." He looked up. "I am sorry. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. It was selfish me to do that and I want to make it up to you..." He looked around at everyone. "...if you'll give me a chance."

Hunk looked wretched. He slumped back into his chair. Allura looked at the others who were deep in thought. Hunk seemed earnest about his reparations. But in the beginning, he seemed the most willing to stay and help in the fight. And yet, he was the first to forsake them. Could she and the others trust him after what he had done? Could they trust that he wouldn't do it again?

Keith shifted in his chair bringing everyone back to the here and now. "I don't want to speak for anybody but myself but..." Allura tensed. "I want to give Hunk another chance." Allura felt her mouth fall open and clicked it shut. "I think he made a mistake, a big one yeah, but we all have at one point or another. I think we all wish we could go back and make it right. So I believe him when he says he's going to try." He looked at Shiro who gave the barest nod.

Pidge spoke next. "If Hunk says he's sorry then..." She smiled at Hunk. "I mean it's Hunk we're talking about right?"

Everyone looked at Lance who had his arms crossed looking at the center of the table. He jiggled his knee, rapping softly on the floor. He looked at Pidge, she held his gaze for a long time. A silent conversation between the two of them. Eventually, he nodded. "Okay."

"Princess?" Shiro asked Allura. She started despite herself.

She looked at Hunk. His eyes were full of remorse. She remembered Keith's words. We all have regrets, things we wish we could change. If we can't forgive Hunk for this transgression then what hope do we all have. She smiled broadly at him. "Yes. I think Hunk should stay." A collective sigh was released. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

Hunk put his hand over his heart. "I don't let you down. I promise." He said solemnly.

Allura responded in kind. "And I promise, that when it is safe, we'll contact your families and let them know you're alright and the sacrifices you've made to be here."

The others were already in a better mood, this ugliness could now be put behind them. The other Paladins started to rise when Allura and Shiro spoke at the same time.

"If you have another moment..." "Before you leave..."

She looked at Shiro who seemed embarrassed. He motioned for her to continue. Everyone returned to their seats.

Allura continued. "I know you all want to rest but we need to decide where we are going to go. We need a safe place to gather supplies and allies if there are any left in the galaxy."

"We need new teleduv lens, the cannons need to be reinforced before being fired again, a new crystal would be a game changer," Coran suggested, listing off the items off of his fingers.

"I could use some new parts." Pidge chimed in. "If we are going to repair the ship then fresh parts would mean we aren't repairing them all the time."

"Yeah, some of this stuff is holding up by spit and glue alone." Hunk agreed, then looked at Coran. "Not that spit and glue are bad..."

Coran put his hand up. "No no, number 2 I understand. This ship has been through a lot these last few weeks."

"Some new clothes wouldn't be so bad," Lance suggested quietly.

"Clothes? Really?" Keith scoffed.

Lance shot his a glare. Whatever alliance they had against Hunk dissipated instantly. "Yeah! Why not? Some of us don't want to look like bums. We're supposed to be saving the galaxy. Shouldn't we be doing it in style?" Pidge giggled which Lance took as a good sign. "Plus what do you want? Another leather jacket? A..A..."He looked Keith over. "A haircut?"

Keith rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'm fine with wherever you decide. I'm going to bed." He got up from his seat and passed behind Allura to leave. Shiro opened his mouth to say something but closed it quickly. As the doors closed behind Keith, Allura saw him reach up to touch his hair.

"I actually like his hair." Pidge winked at Lance who let his mouth hang open. She laughed and punched him lightly on the uninjured arm. "You're a dufus."

Lance blinked a few times and smiled.

Shiro cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we're done for now. Coran, make a supply list and we will do our best to fill it. Allura, do you think there are any old alliances that could still be active?"

She dreaded this question. "Sadly, I don't know for sure. But, I'll make a list of likely allies and we can figure it out from there. The best place would be Pavv. They were friends of ours before and I've checked their status. The Galra have not taken over the planet."

Shiro smiled reassuringly at her. "That's a good start. Thank you, Allura." She smiled back. Shiro's strong presence made her and everyone else feel at ease despite the chaos around them. Yes, she considered herself very lucky to have them as her Paladins.


	5. Chapter 5-Undoing

Trigger Warning:

A scene involving sexual assault.

pequeño-little (brother). It's a nickname my friend's family called him growing up so I thought it would be fun to add it here.

* * *

Lance shook the bottle of mouse and pressed on the top. After a few fizzes, mousse foamed into his palm. Looking into the mirror, Lance ran his fingers through his hair, forming it just right. _There! Danielle gonna be one smitten kitten. _He wrinkled his nose. _Don't ever...ever say that out loud._ He tilted his head to examine his hair. He shot himself a smug smile in the mirror.

Before he could react, hands crept up from behind him and grabbed his head ruffling his locks. Lance pulled his head away. "Hey!"

His sister, Veronica burst into laughter as she examined her handy work.

Lance looked desperately at his ruined hairdo. He wetted his fingers to try and smooth it as best he could.

Veronica wiped her hands on a towel. "Oh come on now. I'm saving you. You looked _way_ too done up. She's going to think you're more into yourself than her. So..." She left the crumpled towel on the sink beside him. "...You're welcome."

He growled and tried to shove her out of the bathroom but she ducked out of the way. She settled herself on the lip of the bathtub. "Yikes, ease up _pequeño."_

"_Ugh. _I'm bigger than you you know." He glared at a defiant strand of hair.

She shrugged casually. "Eh, you're always going to be my little brother. It's part of my job to keep you grounded. I mean I almost let you leave the house looking like a plastic doll."

He managed to smooth out the uncooperative strand only for another to pop out of place. He growled. He was ready to wash his hair and start again when the doorbell rang.

"Shit."

Veronica stood up and stretched lazily. "Welp looks like you're going to have to see her like that." She skipped out of the door and turned around. "Don't keep her waiting Cassanova." He threw the towel at her but she was already out of the room.

He hung his head and closed his eyes. He heard Veronica go down the stairs and open the front door. He couldn't quite hear their voices, then he heard Danielle laugh. _That's not good. Whatever Veronica said to make her laugh can't be good for me._ He looked up at himself in the mirror. His ruffled hair grew on him a little bit. Gave him a bit of a rough vibe. He would never tell his sister that though. A second laugh had him bolting from the bathroom and running down the stairs. He leaped to the landing to see Veronica showing Danielle something on her phone. He slid himself between the two, extracting Danielle away while shoving Veronica with his foot.

"Heyyyyyy." He held her arms out wide. "You look beautiful." He felt her heart flip when she blushed deeply.

"Thanks Lance." She gave him a good once over, stopping at his hair. "You look great too. I like your hair."

Veronica peeked over his shoulder to say something but he nudged her away. "Let's get out of here." He wrapped his arm around her waist to lead her out of the door. As he was leaving, he shot his sister a dirty look over his shoulder. She responded with a rude gesture.

Once outside, he led her to his car. He opened the passenger door, letting her in. He hopped over to the driver's side.

He adjusted the seat and mirrors. _Veronica must have been driving it last. I'm gonna throw her out off the roof when I get back. _He looked over at his date. _Okay. Don't blow it, man._

She looked shyly at him. "So, where are we going?"

"You're hungry?"

She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Starving."

"Good. I know a place."

* * *

The Pavv system was a long way away and they were still without a warp-drive. Coran, Hunk, and Pidge worked constantly to reroute power away from the damaged lens, but nothing could be done to get a large enough jump to Pavv. This would turn a day trip into weeks. However, it would allow the Paladins to heal and catch their breath.

The ship glided through space and a new routine settled in the ship. Once everyone had recovered, training was back in full swing. When they weren't training, everyone worked on repairing the ship. Allura strategized with Shiro and Keith on alliances and defenses. Coran and Hunk worked on repairing the ship's engine. Pidge reworked the systems. Which left Lance feeling like the odd one out.

He wandered the halls, letting his feet drag him. He had wandered through most of the castle. He checked in on Coran and his 'happy helpers' he called them. Pidge stuck her tongue out at him when his back was turned. They barely acknowledged his presence and didn't even answer him when he offered his help.

Shiro and Allura were no good either. They were smoothing out potential alliances with nearby systems and didn't care for any additional input from him.

Lance was so torn for company that he even sought Keith out. He was in the control room reconfiguring the security systems. When Lance pressed a button absentmindedly, he accidentally gave Keith an electric shock. He wasn't even hurt but he chased Lance out of the room.

This left Lance lonely and wandering the halls. He turned down a random hallway and stopped. He let out a disgusted sound. _What is that smell? It's like old mold. _He looked into a doorway turned on the lights, revealing rows and rows of books. _Ahhh a library, that makes sense. _He turned around and walked two feet back the way he came and stopped. The hallway in front of him was long and dark. He turned back around. _It's not like I have anything better to do. Maybe it'll have some comics. _He wandered in and down the first row. His feet kicked up particles of dust casting a shroud around him.

His eyes roamed the titles, most were in languages he didn't recognize. Finally, he found some written in English. _Here we go._ He read the title of one. _Climate and Cultural Change in Prehistoric Europe and the Near East..uh nope. _He disregarded that and moved to the next one _An Archaeological Examination of the Pacific Islands before European Contact. Who would wanna read that? Why do they even have these books? _He skimmed the next few, skipping anything that had the words 'history' 'culture' 'or 'record' in the title. After passing several sections, he started to lose hope.

He never liked libraries on Earth, why would he like libraries in outer space? It doesn't_ matter anyway. Everybody thinks I'm an idiot. If anyone found me in here they'd think I had gotten lost on the way to the bathroom or something. Well, I'm not lost and I'll show them. _He picked up a book at random and opened it. He got through the first page well enough. But by the end of the second, he had forgotten what he had read. He huffed and snapped the book shut, replacing it randomly back in the stack. _Okay, you don't need the smartest book here. Just find something that you can get through. _His eyes grazed over the titles until one caught his eye._The Star_ by H.G. Wells. _Classic! _He pulled it out and slid it under his arm.

He walked out of the room, whistling as he did.

* * *

"Here you are, one Colossal Burger and one Cheese Deluxe." The waiter set down two plates of burgers piled with fries. "Enjoy kids."

Danielle's eyes went wide. "These are huge!" She laughed as she tried and failed to pick up her burger with one hand. She used the other hand to cradle the burger.

"This is nothing, have you seen the Heart Attack?" She shook her head. "The patty is the size of a dinner plate."

She scrunched up her nose. "Ilch, that's too big. When I was in Washington with my family. We stayed at this diner where you got your whole meal free if you finished their 72 oz steak in under 10 minutes."

"Did you do it?"

"What, eat the steak?" She asked incredulously.

He laughed lightly. "Yeah!"

She snickered. "No, I did not. I cannot even imagine doing that."

Lance pursed his lips. "I think I could do it."

Danielle raised her eyebrows challengingly. Lance raised his palms up. "What? You don't think I could?"

"Could maybe, would though I don't know."

"Well, apparently, the world record is set by a 120 lb woman."

"Really?"

Lance nodded. "Yeah, I don't remember the time exactly but it was under 3 minutes I think."

She scrunched her face again. "Nope, not for me. I'll leave that to the _professionals._"

He held up his burger. "Better start training then."

His phone vibrated as a text came through. He glanced at his phone to see a message from Pidge.

_Can you come over? I need you._

His heart began to pound in his chest and his palms began to sweat. He blinked several times.

"Hey everything okay?" Danielle asked.

Lanced started. He had forgotten where he was and who he was with. He wiped his hand on his jeans. "Uh yeah, no actually. It's my brother. He needs me to go pick him up at school?"

She looked out the window into the night, confused. "Now?"

Lance mentally chided himself. "Yeah, uh he had to stay there to finish a project. I was supposed to pick him up and I forgot." He gave a toothy smile.

She furrowed her brows, giving him a long look. She held her half-eaten burger in her hands. "Okay. Can anyone else pick him up?"

Lance shook his head rapidly. "No, and my mom would be furious if I left him there waiting. So, uh?" He gestured wildly for the waiter. "Let's get that packed up and I'll take you home."

"Well I can come with you..."

"No. I have to drive him to practice and it's like _way_ across town it won't be fun for you and we need the room for his instrument he plays the tuba and it takes up the whole back so we need the front for him to sit so I'll pay and drop you off before I go and pick him up."

Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. He felt sweat fall down his face. He resisted the urge to wipe his forehead. A sad look passed over her face and she nodded. "Okay."

The waiter came with their doggy bags. Lance picked them up and carried them to the car.

They were silent the whole way back.

Pulling into her driveway, he got out to open her door but she immediately got out. She shut the door hard and walked up the walkway. He didn't follow her.

She put the keys into the door but didn't turn them. She turned towards Lance, her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"You know, I was having a really nice time."

Lance scratched the back of his head. "Yeah I did too."

She shook her head. "No, I _was_ having a nice time. Goodnight Lance." She opened the door and went inside, closing the door behind her.

Lance stared at the closed door confused. He returned to the car and pulled out onto the road. He made himself drive carefully for a few blocks before gunning it to Pidge's.

* * *

He let himself into her house. He had a key but they never locked it anyway. Her parents must have not been home as they were usually in the living room at this time of night. He ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. He slowed down as he approached Pidge's room. It was closed, so he rapped softly on the door.

"Pidge?" He heard sobbing from the other side. He opened the door to see Pidge curled up on her bed. She was holding a stuffed rabbit, Cinnabun, an old toy he gave her when they were kids. She looked up at him, her face wet with tears. Her eyes were red, her face puffy from crying.

He was beside her in an instant. She curled onto his lap and pressed her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her gently. He let her cry on him.

After several minutes, her sobs quieted. He whispered into her hair. "What happened?"

She was silent for a few moments. "Blake broke up with me."

He wrapped her tighter, bringing her closer. "I'm so sorry."

"He kept trying to go further and further with me. I didn't want to and _said_ I didn't want to but he kept trying." Lance felt his body clench, he forced himself to relax so he didn't crush her. "It's not like I was entirely against it but the way he tried to make me...then tonight, he tried to force me to give him head, he held my head down. I pushed him away and called him an asshole. He called me a slut; said I wasn't worth all this trouble and left."

"What a fucking dick." Lance had already made the decision that he was going to find Blake tomorrow and beat the living shit out of him. He unwrapped his arms enough to bring her face up to his. He softly wiped her tears with his thumbs.

She pulled away slightly and sniffed. "Sorry, I look like a wreck." He pulled her back to him shushing her.

"You look beautiful." She tried to shake her head but he held her gently but firmly. "I mean it. You're the most beautiful girl I know. And I know lots of girls." She snorted. He smiled at her. She really was beautiful. Her curly red hair perfectly framed her face. Her lips were full and she had a delicately pointed nose. Her green eyes were radiant. _How am I just now noticing this_?

He continued to softly stroke her cheeks, wiping away the now dried tears. He didn't blink and neither did she. How could Blake treat her like that, he wondered.

Lance didn't know how much time had past, he didn't care. Eventually, she reached up and peeled his hands away from her face. She rested her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed. "Thank you for coming."

He grazed his lips over her hair. "Anytime."

He felt her tense. "Didn't you have a date tonight?"

He shushed her by stroking her arm. "It's alright, she wasn't my type in the end."

"Beautiful, smart, funny is not your type?"

He chuckled. "You're beautiful, smart, and funny, _and_ you're more important to me." He left out _his_ _type_. He had trouble focusing on that at the moment. It had never thought of her that way before. He never thought he would. It's Pidge, it's Katie, it's his best friend. It was ludicrous. Thankfully, she didn't question him further.

After a couple of minutes, he felt her breathing become steady. She had fallen asleep. He didn't want to risk waking her up so he softly settled himself against the head of her bed. He pulled the blanket over them.

If her parents checked in on her, he was going to get an earful. Maybe her father would chase him out of the house. But he took the risk. He looked down at her face, peaceful. He knew that for Pidge, he would risk everything.

* * *

Lance was sitting in the lounge with his feet propped up on the couch. He was halfway through the book and if he was being honest with himself, he was loving it.

"What in space are you doing?" Pidge peeked over Lance's shoulder. Her voice was incredulous. Normally he took the jabs and swings about his intelligence but today he wasn't in the mood.

He grunted and sat up straighter. "I'm reading, what does it look like?"

She snorted. "Why? Did you lose a bet?"

Irritated, he snapped the book shut. "No, I didn't lose a bet. I was bored so I went to the library to find something to read." He didn't bother hiding his annoyance. Pidge finally picked up on his tone and raised her hands conceding.

"Alright, I was just wondering. It's not like you. I always had to force you to read at the Garrison so it's just weird that's all."

"Yeah well, I'm kind of tired of it."

Pidge tilted her head. Like a bird assessing a suddenly defiant worm. Lance fought his sudden temper at the sight. Surely she knew that it bothered him to be the constant laughing stock of the ship. Or maybe she didn't think about him as much as he thought she did. Or how much he wanted her to. He didn't say anything more. He got up and strode out of the room. He didn't need her or anyone else's approval. He was a Paladin of Voltron, the most powerful being in the universe. Just because no one on the ship appreciated him didn't mean that there weren't others who would flock to his side.

"Lance." Pidge called after him. He didn't stop his brisk pace as he marched down the hall. She caught up to him, struggling to match his long stride. He didn't have any place in mind, he just needed to get away from her.

She touched his arm. Her fingers lightly grazing his skin. His mind fixated on the touch.

His voice was gruff. "What do you want?"

Her brows furrowed. She really didn't know why he was angry. Maybe she really did think he was such a moron that the idea of him reading for pleasure was completely inconceivable.

"Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me."

"You're smart, why don't you figure it out."

She looked taken aback. "What has gotten into you?"

He snarled. He couldn't control himself any longer. He had never lost his temper at her before. He didn't know where this anger was coming from. Maybe it had already been there, festering, and now he was unleashing it because of some offhand remarks. _Or is it really how she thinks of me?_

"Nothing has gotten into me. Maybe I'm just not as single-minded as you thought." He started to walk away again. She pulled on his arm. He resisted ripping it from her grasp.

"I don't think you're single-minded."

"Do you think I'm dumb?"

Her slight hesitation was all the answer he needed. He wrenched his arm out of her hand and stalked down the hall. He didn't answer when she called after him. _Well she's right. You're an idiot all right. But there is one thing I'm good at._

He walked with fierce determination. He knew this path well, had walked it many times since he first walked onto the ship. His feet took him up to the royal quarters. He knocked softly on Allura's door.

Her lovely lilting voice answered. "Come in."

He opened the door to Allura reading a report on her screen. She turned towards him and smiled. Her hair was unbound and flowed over her shoulders. Her eyes were warm and inviting. "Hello Lance. What brings you here?"

A thousand voices broke out in his mind and he ignored all of them. He closed the distance between the two of them. His sudden movements made her stand up. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled his face down, his lips meeting hers.

Her lips were tentative from his surprise kiss. After a moment, she softened against him. He deepened the kiss and let his hands roam down her neck and back. After several moments, he pulled back enough to look at her. Her eyes fluttered open and her mouth remained pursed. He felt smug satisfaction as her breath took a moment to come back to regularity. She looked up at him.

He smirked. "I've wanted to do that for a while."

He didn't want to wait for her answer. He pulled away and walked out of the room. This way, she couldn't reject him. Couldn't look at him with anger or pity and give some excuse about how it's not the right time, or couldn't risk their friendship. She had wanted him for a moment and that was enough for him, for now.

* * *

So I was a little worried taking Lance in this direction. It's told from his perspective so the narrator isn't always going to be reliable as to how others actually feel, just how he felt they did. I hope that came across.


	6. Chapter 6-Crushed

Allura's muscles strained as she extended her arm towards the branch. She had grown much since the previous year but she was still short for her age. In order to reach the next branch she would have to leave the relative safety of her own. Her eyes glimpsed down to the ground far below her. Her child boldness started to seep from her bones. She looked back up to her goal. She was almost at the top of the tree. Once she got to the top, she could see over all of her kingdom. She just had to get there.

She lowered herself just enough to give her a boost of power. She steadied her breath and leaped.

She launched herself up and grabbed the branch, her momentum taking her higher than she anticipated. Her legs swung forward causing her grip on the branch to loosen. She felt her hand fall away from the branch and she began to descend to the ground. Swinging her other hand she managed to grab the branch, causing the entire tree to sway. Dangling from one hand she looked around and laughed. Once her giggles died, she pulled herself up and sat on the branch, letting her feet dangle and sway.

"Allura!" The voice cut her to the bone. Cringing, she willed herself to look down and saw Nanny, with her hands on her hips, glaring up at her. Her eyes were wide with bewilderment. "Allura! Get down this instant! You've ruined your birthday dress!"

Allura looked at her dress. Indeed Nanny was right. Dirt stained her violet dress. She thought she had been so careful. She swallowed, she was in for it now.

She grabbed the truck and pulled herself into a crouch on the branch. She looked for a way to get back down safely. She realized that getting up was easier than getting down. Allura gripped the trunk with both hands and took a deep breath. She began contemplating how she could make a life as a tree person.

Nanny was tapping her foot. "Come down now young lady!".

"I'm trying!"

"Now! The guests have already arrived. Now we have to get you cleaned up before they see you." Nanny had been stressed out for weeks before Allura's birthday. She painstakingly organized the entire event along with Allura's mother. She wanted everything to be perfect. Allura had put on her new birthday dress first thing in the morning. Nanny had wanted her to stay in her room until the guests arrived but Allura snuck out to play. This was the final straw for Nanny. Allura was going to be trouble for weeks.

Simultaneously wanting to put off punishment forever and getting it over with, Allura picked her way down the tree. She jumped down the last final few feet to land in front of her furious carer.

Nanny grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the castle.

"I don't know what I am going to do with you."

Allura let herself be pulled along. "I'm sorry Nanny.

"Every time you leave my sight you get into mischief. I don't know..."

"Hi."

Nanny stopped herself. Standing in front of them was a small boy with short white hair pulled back away from a dark velvet face. His clothes were the finest that Allura had ever seen. He bowed his head towards Allura in greeting.

Nanny released Allura's arm and curtsied deeply. "Prince Lotor, my apologies we did not know that you had arrived."

Lotor looked from Nanny to Allura. His features were soft, his eyes were playful. His mouth broke into a grin. "I saw you climb that tree."

Nanny gasped and clutched her throat with her hand. Things were getting out of hand. Allura shook her head. "No, I wasn't climbing it, I was..."

He grinned again. "Yes you were. Could you show me?"

Nanny gasped again. Lotor merely shrugged. "I'm not allowed to climb trees back home, but if you're allowed to here I'd like to try." Despite the aloof statement, there was a tinge of sadness in his voice. Another royal captive by propriety and expectations, Allura could relate all too well.

Allura looked up at Nanny who stood shocked. "Can we oh please Nanny?" Nanny looked down at her. Allura fingered her dress. "My dress is already dirty."

Nanny looked from her to Lotor and back again. Two pairs of wide pleading children's eyes bore into her. The universe didn't stand a chance against these two never mind Nanny. "Alright!"

The children jumped and clapped their hands. Nanny placed one hand on her hip and wagged her finger with her other hand. "But!" The children quieted instantly, mimicking humbleness and piety. "You will return here in 20 doboshes..AND.." Preventing the children from darting away… "You young lady, will put on a dress that I will picke out for you." She pointed her finger at Lotor. "And you, young man, will not get a speck of dirt on your clothes." She stated it as a fact, an inevitable future. Lotor, who had plenty of experience with that, nodded.

Allura took his hand and tugged him away from Nanny. "Don't worry Nanny, we promise, we will be careful." The two ran off, hand in hand.

Nanny watched them go and then turned back towards the castle. She tried to think of a way to stall the party for twenty doboshes. She knew she was too soft on Allura. Other royalty would never conceive of climbing a tree or getting their clothes dirty. Others, would have waited in their rooms until called upon. Others would not give her a headache every morning.

But others would not weep when they have to bury their pet mouse. Or painstakingly make presents for every staff member in the castle every Feast of Provenance. Or fill Nanny's heart with joy every day with her unbridled impetuosity and optimism. Nanny would never trade all that for anything. She could give Allura twenty minutes. It was the least she could do.

* * *

The noise of the bar was comforting. Keith sat at the bar letting the din wash over him. He slowly sipped his beer, the bartender silently handing him another when it got low. He liked coming here. Just far enough away from both the Garrison and the city that he didn't have to deal with Garrison brats or the Townies. The patrons here were common enough that no one gave him a hard time for not being social. The music was good. Lots of classics that his dad would put on when they were working on their bikes.

A chorus of giggles broke through the noise as a gaggle of girls walked into the bar. He, along with most of the bar looked at the new arrivals. One was wearing a tiara and a sash that said 'wife-to-be' on it. _Great, a bachelorette party. _ Keith turned back to his drink. _Maybe they'll realize that this dive isn't serving Cosmos and they'll leave. _The girls were not descouraged and settled into a booth in the corner.

After several minutes of giggles, one separated herself from the bunch and walked over to the bar. She hoisted herself on the barstool next to Keith and waved over Adrius the bartender. He was a large burly man, all dive bars have at least one, with full sleeve tattoos that etched up his neck. A long beard hid his mouth. Despite his appearance, he was a kind and gentle man. His daughter recently won a dance competition and he hung her picture by the cash register. He happily told his regulars about helping her practice and how proud he was of her.

Adrius walked over, giving Keith a side glance before giving his attention to the woman. She leaned over, crossing her arms under her breasts, pushing up her cleavage. She didn't have much, but she worked what she had. Adrius was ever the professional and kept his eyes up.

"Can we have four beers, and four rum and cokes please?" Adrius nodded and set off to make the drinks. The girl leaned on her elbow towards Keith arching her back. "Rad place huh?"

Keith didn't have any interest in having a conversation. He had been coming here for a couple of months and he had about 10 minutes worth of conversation in that entire time. That was a record he'd like to keep. "Mhmmm." He nodded and took a sip of his beer.

Undeterred, she gave a show of looking him up and down. Keith kept his attention forward but shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "So what do you do?"

He turned his head slightly and opened his mouth to speak.

She put her hand up. "Wait let me guess." She tilted her head in thought. "I would guess by your jacket that that's your bike outside."

He turned to face her fully. Her brown hair was styled in waves that cascaded down over her shoulders. Her dress was simple but clung to her body in all the right places. Her eyes sparkled with mischief that should have been a warning in itself. He didn't think he would like forward girls. He didn't like forward people. He didn't really like people in general. But her casual swagger started to draw him in. He smiled. "That doesn't say anything about what I do."

She gave him devilish grin. "I was just getting started."

He put his hand up in apology. She put a finger to mouth. "I think you work with your hands."

He nodded.

"You build things. Or at least repair them. You work outdoors whenever you can and..." She looked at his arms. "you work without a shirt."

He snorted. "How'd you know?"

She crossed her legs, letting her skirt ride up a bit, she leaned forward. "It's a gift, I'm a bit of a psychic actually."

He raised his eyebrows in faux surprise. "Oh really?"

She grinned. "It's a gift.."

She dragged her finger across her lips. Keith's eyes followed. "And how far into the future can you see?" He leaned forward. "Can you see what will happen tonight?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "I can."

"Am I there?"

Before she could answer Adrius came with a tray full of drinks. "Here you are miss." Both of them started. Keith was so caught up in the moment that he had forgotten where he was. She must have been just as caught up because she gave a shy laugh and pulled out her card. She tapped it against the machine and slid off her stool. She landed just a few inches from his face. Her brown eyes were dazzling. Keith didn't have any words.

"I have to go back to my friends." She took the tray and started walking to the booth. She turned around and gave that wicked smile. "And by the way.. you are." She continued to smile as she walked to her friends. She presented the tray to a chorus of cheers from her friends.

He continued to watch her as she sat down and smiled at him. A friend grabbed her attention and she looked away. Keith turned back to the bar.

"What do you think?" He asked Adrius.

Adrius rested his elbows on the bar. He looked at the girls celebrating and shrugged. "I think you haven't had fun in a while. Or ever for that matter. And she looks pretty fun."

Keith snorted. "Yeah?"

Keith never had a girlfriend. He had dated girls, but never for more than a few weeks at best. Either he broke up with them or they got fed up with him and broke up with him. Usually the latter. He didn't want to date at the moment but it didn't seem like she wanted to either.

He glanced back at the girl. Her friend was whispering something in her ear. She must have felt his gaze, cause she turned her head enough to look at him. He didn't turn away. She slowly smiled.

He swallowed hard. He really couldn't remember the last time he had fun. And Adrius was right, she looked like the kind of fun he needed. Keith had no idea for the world of hurt he was about to be in for the next six months. Hurt he caused himself through jealously and resentment.

Even now, as he approached the table, destiny, fate, Moirai, whatever, was working against him. He would believe that it would for a long long time after this.

* * *

"Allura?"

Allura blinked, realizing someone had asked her a question. She had tried to pay attention to what Coran and her Paladins were saying but her mind kept drifting. When Lance kissed her, it was the last thing she had expected. He flirted with her constantly, but it seemed so harmless. Nothing beyond words, no actual feelings were involved. She had been completely blind-sided by it. And, if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of kissing him. He was nice to look at, made her laugh, lavished attention on her. _No one has done that since...well it __is__ nice after all this time. _

"Should we go?" Keith looked at her, waiting her answer to his question. If she was being more honest with herself, there was a tinge of disappointment when the knock on the door revealed Lance. Since their kiss, Allura's thoughts drifted to Lance more and more but they kept getting pushed aside. Keith flirted with her or at least she thought he did. He did act differently around her than the others. He was more relaxed, laughed more, teased her. But he kept a firm line between them. Whenever they accidentally touched he tore his hands away. If he did feel anything for her, surely he would have let his touch linger. Or maybe she was reading too much into it. Nanni always did tell her that she was too much of a romantic for her own good.

She sat up straight in her chair. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?" She fought down a blush creeping up her cheeks.

His eyes bore into hers, he pursed his lips but continued. "We're halfway to Pavv but there's a planet coming up that could have some supplies. Scans don't show any Galra activity. But there are other threats besides the Galra."

Shiro nodded along. "We will need to be on our guard if we go. And someone would need to stay on the ship in case of trouble."

"Dibs on not it." Lance said as he shot his hand in the air. Allura smiled. He _did_ make her laugh.

Pidge rolled her eyes at him. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days. "Easy there. Someone has to stay behind and it can't be me, Hunk, or Coran. We will need to examine the parts before we buy them."

"And Shiro and Allura should come too since they're the leaders and all." Hunk added. Allura looked at Shiro who was nodding along. It gave her an odd sense of satisfaction that he accepted her as a leader alongside him so readily. She never had to fight for leadership before, it was always assumed. But she enjoyed the idea of leading beside him.

Hunk looked around. "So that leaves Lance or Keith to stay behind."

Allura shifted. She did not want to make that choice. Thankfully Keith made it for her. "I'll stay." Everyone looked at him. "I don't have anything I need or want on the surface. So I'll stay behind and guard the ship." He didn't look at her, but his remarks stung.

With a level voice, Allura said "Well that settles it. Coran take us within the planet's orbit and we will take the shuttle down. Does anyone have any other business?" When no one spoke she clapped her hands signaling the end of the meeting. She got up and quickly left to not let anyone in particular corner her.

Once back in her own room she flopped herself on her bed. They had a few hours before they would be in orbit. She heard footsteps come from down the hall. They grew louder and stopped in front of her door. She tensed in anticipation of a knock. Several ticks went by with nothing.

She lifted her head and looked at the door. Nothing was happening.

Then, she heard the footsteps start back down the hall away from her. She got up from her bed. She desperately wanted to know which individual came all the way to her door but stopped just short of it only to leave but she couldn't bring herself to open the door. She leaned her head against the door listening until the footsteps were no more. She pushed herself away from the door and flopped back onto the bed. She turned on her back and pressed her palms into her eyes. She felt suddenly very very tired.

* * *

The planet, Nereivia, was a small, lush and beautiful planet. The planet was covered in thick, dense foliage. Even Allura's eyes were wide in wonder. There were several cities established around the planet. But each integrated itself into the environment rather than try to fight against nature. Some, you had to look carefully to even notice it was there. Coran suggested the city Tethtis, as it was the largest and the 'port' city to the outside.

Coran procured civilian clothing for the group, leaving their paladin armor back on the ship. Even if no one recognized the armor, it would set them apart from regular traders. Allura did have to update the style of their clothing to something this side of 10,000 years but together they made it work.

They circled the city and landed in the docking area near the edge of the city. It was just after midday. There were other ships like theirs but there wasn't much activity going on.

"This is weird." Hunk commented.

"Agreed." Shiro unlatched his blaster in its holster. "Keep your guard up."

The group wandered through the city. From the landing dock to the city centre, the roads were oddly deserted. There were a few people here and there, but the expected hustle and bustle of the markets the downtown districts were nowhere to be seen. When Allura asked one of the citizens about trade, she looked at the group, shook her head quickly and ran off into her shop. She slammed the doors followed quickly by a lock being put in place.

Hunk pressed his two index fingers together. "Okay, this is getting really weird."

Allura furrowed her brows. "Something spooked her. Whatever it is won't be good for us."

"So we cut our losses and head back to the ship then right?" Hunk asked hopefully. Allura continued down the street followed by the others except for Hunk. "Right guys? Heading back to the ship away from whatever bad thing is waiting for us in this town?" He looked at their retreating backs. He hung his head. Lifting his head he realized he was alone and ran to catch up with the group.

From down an alley, they heard shouting. On the next street, there was a large crowd, heckling the speaker. The team edged towards the crowd to get a better look at what was causing the disturbance.

From the back of the crowd, they could see a large figure raising his hands to try and quiet the crowd. Most of the people quieted but some continued to shout at the figure. The figure smiled assuredly. He was a hairless creature with large bulbous hands. Rings decorated each of his three fingers. His clothes stretched over his large belly. He was a native of this planet but he was clearly more well-fed than his compatriots.

"My friends, I know you're hurting." A few more shouts rose up and died down. "Some of you are saying that the police are coming to your homes and stealing your food for themselves. Some of you are saying that someone in your home has been taken without you knowing where. Some of you are saying that you're oppressed. That you cannot leave this planet. But my friends those are all lies." His clear and powerful. His low timbre resonates through the crowd. "We do not take without cause. Food was taken and redistributed to those more in need than you. Those who have been taken were found to be your enemies. Those you feel oppressed are, in reality, freer than those around them. It is through struggle that you liberate yourself. This is a simple and clear truth confirmed by history."

"But my friends, I know that liberation is not the only thing you seek. You seek safety. Let me tell you that the Outside is a cold and dark place. Some of you think the Galra are a myth." He paused the perfect dramatic break. "But the Galra are in our backyard. As soon as you set foot out there, they will be waiting. They will enslave you or kill you. _They_ will take your family away from you. They will starve you out of your home. But I will not let them do that. _I_ am what stands between you and the Galra."

The crowd erupted in a cheer. The figure bowed his headly slightly in thanks, still smiling. He looked up and his eyes caught the Paladins. His smile grew.

Pidge couldn't take her eyes from the figure. "This isn't good."


End file.
